Joint Statement on the Mexican GM Maize Scandal
February 18, 2002
A huge controversy has erupted over evidence that the Mesoamerican Center
of Genetic Diversity is contaminated with genetically modified (GM) maize
material. Two respected scientists are under global attack and the
peer-review process of a major scientific publication is being threatened.
There is infighting at the Mexican ministries of environment and agriculture,
and intergovernmental organizations and international scientific institutes
are squabbling over methodologies rather than carrying out their mandates.
Background:
It all began with an article in Nature last September reporting on
the findings of Mexico's Ministry of the Environment that extensive GM maize
contamination had been found in farmers' varieties in two states. In
November, a peer-reviewed article, also in Nature, by Dr. Ignacio
Chapela and graduate student David Quist at the Berkeley campus of the
University of California, offered scientific evidence of the Mexican
contamination. A subsequent story in Nature Biotechnology
reported that the Berkeley scientists had unconfirmed preliminary indications
that GM pollution may have seeped into the world's most important maize gene
bank. On January 23rd, at a workshop hosted by civil society
organizations in Mexico, the country's environment ministry presented a study
that revealed that GM contamination of farmers' varieties of maize had been
found at contamination rates of up to 35% in remote villages in Oaxaca and
Puebla. The findings were jointly prepared by the Ministry of the
Environment and Natural Resources, the National Institute of Ecology
and the National Commission on Biodiversity.
Pro-industry and pro-GM academics went ballistic. News that a Center
of Genetic Diversity had been polluted with GM traits could crush industry
hopes that the European Union would end its de facto GM moratorium in
March. Industry is also concerned that the April meeting of the
Convention on Biological Diversity would quash global labeling pressures and
Mexico's specific calls for compensatory mechanisms for biotech accidents.
Civil Society and CIMMYT Exchange:
On February 6th, many of the leading Farmers' and other Civil Society
Organizations attending the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre Brazil joined
together to write to Jacques Diouf, the Director-General of the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Ian Johnson, the World Bank Vice-President
who chairs the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR) to ask them to call for a moratorium on the shipment of GM seed or
grain into their Centers of Genetic Diversity. The letters were in part
prompted by telephone and e-mail discussions with Dr. Tim Reeves, the
Director-General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
(CIMMYT - one of the 16 CGIAR "Green Revolution" centers).
Although Reeves cautioned that the methodology supporting the contamination
studies was under attack - and that three rounds of investigation at CIMMYT
had revealed no contamination of their maize gene bank, he did agree that
there was GM contamination in Mexico and that it would be only a matter of
time before contamination reached the gene banks. Reeves also
volunteered that his comments could be quoted. Since then, the CIMMYT
director has expressed his regret that CSOs did not wait for clarification on
the issues of methodology before writing to FAO and CGIAR, but he has stood
by the two main points: there is contamination in a Center of Genetic
Diversity, and it is only a matter of time before that contamination reaches
into the gene bank - if it hasn't already occurred.
Industry's strategy:
CIMMYT could hardly be described as anti-GM. It has the premiere
biotech programme within the CGIAR. Why then are some scientists and
institutions attacking the findings of the Government of Mexico and the
Berkeley scientists' It would seem to be a project doomed to failure
since regardless of the methodologies involved - no serious scientist can
really dispute the contamination' Three reasons make short-term gain
for long-term problems a reasonable strategy for supporters of industry:
1. Damage control in Europe and Brazil:
The world's biggest non-GM consumer of agricultural imports is still
tottering uncertainly on the issue of genetic modification. The more
anti-GM activists can be attacked or discredited the better industry's
chances will be to win an end to the de facto moratorium when EU Heads
of State gather in Barcelona March 15-16. Meanwhile, Brazil - the
world's largest non-GM exporter - has been making loud pro-GM noises.
Concerns about environmental damage in Mesoamerica readily translate into
Brazilian alarm about damage to the Amazon. As with Europe, the
Mexican scandal is bad news for biotech in Brazil.
2. Biosafety Protocol containment:
When the world's environmental ministries gather in The Hague (April 8-26),
Terminator technology and the Biosafety Protocol are high on the
agenda. The Protocol emphasizes the special role of Centers of Origin
and Centers of Genetic Diversity. Unless they can keep doubts
circulating as to whether or not Mesoamerica is contaminated, there could be
an irresistible pressure for a moratorium and for industry to foot the bill
for clean up.
3. Academic intimidation:
The Biotech industry has been hurt by the scientific reports of respected
academics such as Dr. Arpad Pusztai and now Ignacio Chapela and David Quist
(authors of the Berkeley study). Pusztai (formerly employed at the Rowett
Institute in Edinburgh, UK) published a study revealing that GM potatoes fed
to lab rats interfered with their growth, organ development, and immune
systems.) They got Pusztai temporarily muzzled and fired, and
they want to do the same to Chapela and Quist - as a warning to any other
academics who break ranks over GM research. Pro-industry academics are
engaging in a highly unethical mud-slinging campaign against the Berkeley
researchers.
Given the stakes, the biotech industry's desperate attempts to cloud and
confuse the scandal is not surprising. If EU Heads of State drop their
moratorium in March and the Biodiversity Convention skates clear in April
without demands for contamination compensation, then whatever bad news comes
down in May is manageable.
CIMMYT's role:
What is harder to understand is the silence of CIMMYT and the entire
CGIAR. Hiding behind a debate they themselves understand to be
irrelevant on methodologies of GM detection, the Center that sees itself
mandated to conserve maize genetic diversity has failed to state firmly and
publicly what they believe to be the truth - that there is contamination in
the field and there will be (or is already) contamination in gene
banks. Without taking sides or even entering into the methodologies
debate, CIMMYT must do what its mandate demands - state the reality as they
believe it to be and announce the steps they are taking - and think others
should take - to conserve diversity and safeguard farmers. Anything
less is corporate complicity and totally unacceptable.
We call upon CIMMYT to:
- Publicly acknowledge that GM
maize contamination has taken place in Mesoamerica;
- Confirm that under present
circumstances the operational assumption has to be that GM maize
contamination in gene banks is inevitable;
We call upon FAO to:
- Ensure that the Code of
Conduct on Biotechnology which is currently under development,
incorporate mechanisms to control the diffusion of GM materials to
vulnerable regions and to guarantee that the burden of ecosystem
restoration and farmer and national compensation rests with those who
pollute.
We call upon CGIAR and FAO together to:
- Review the current FAO-CGIAR
Trust Agreement to ensure that the integrity of germplasm held in Trust
is protected and that there are no intellectual property claims
pertaining to any of the germplasm;
- Recommend steps to safeguard
local farmers' varieties and gene banks.
- Propose an immediate
moratorium on the shipment of GM seed or grain in countries or regions
that form part of the Centre of Origin or Centre of Genetic Diversity
for the species.
We call upon Academia and the Private Industry to:
- Renounce immediately the use
of intimidatory tactics to silence potentially 'dissident' scientists.
We call upon the scientific community to publicly support the academic
freedom of scientists whose studies conflict with the interests of
industry and to censor those academics and institutions that slander the
competence or integrity of those who publish peer-reviewed
studies.
We request that the 6th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity meeting in The Hague, Netherlands April 8-26 place the issue of the
GM contamination of Centres of Origin or of Genetic Diversity on its agenda
for urgent debate and that the World Food Summit Five Years Later, taking
place in Rome from June 6-13 also place this issue on its agenda.
Signatories to this statement include:
FOOD
FIRST/INSTITUTE FOR FOOD AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY
http://www.foodfirst.org
ETC GROUP
[FORMERLY RAFI]
http://etcgroup.org
ACTION RESOURCE
CENTER.
MARGARET WEBER
ADRIAN DOMINICAN SISTERS
LARRY J. GOODWIN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR ORGANIZING
AFRICA FAITH & JUSTICE NETWORK
ALLIANCE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ORGANISATIONS IN ANDHRA PRADESH
CONVENOR: K. PANDU DORA
CONNY ALMEKINDERS
DR. RAUL HERNANDEZ GARCIADIEGO
ALTERNATIVES AND PROCESSES FOR SOCIAL PARTICIPATION
ANTHRA,
INDIA
RÜDIGER STEGEMANN
ASSOCIATION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF CROP DIVERSITY
PAUL NICHOLSON
BASQUE FARMERS UNION
ELVA FRANCO, PRESIDENT
BASQUE SEED NETWORK
MARGRIET ZOETHOUT
BOTH ENDS/ ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICE FOR NGOS
VORSITZENDER HUBERT WEINZIER
BUND NATURSCHUTZ
UTE RÖNNEBECK
BUNDESARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT DER EVANGELISCHEN JUGEND IM LÄNDLICHEN RAUM
KARSTEN WOLFF, CONSULTANT FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS
BUKO AGRO COORDINATION
DR. NARCISO BARRERA-BASSOLS, THE NETHERLANDS
GÉRARD CHOPIN, COORDINATOR
COORDINATION PAYSANNE EUROP=C9ENE
BEVERLY BELL
CENTER FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE (U.S.)
CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS PARA EL CAMBIO EN EL CAMPO MEXICANO (CECCAM)
CLEAN WATER ACTION
LINDA SETCHELL
CHRISTINE ANDELA
COASAD CENTRAL AFRICA COORDINATION
MARIO SALERNO HEAD OF THE HORTICULTURE SECTION
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, GUZE MICALLEF, MALTA
ANGELICA CIBRIAN, GRADUATE FELLOW
CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
DAVID PIMENTEL, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, NY USA
RONALD NIGH, PRESIDENT
DANA, A.C.
URSULA OSWALD
DESARROLLO ALTERNATIVO, A.C.
DIVERSE WOMEN FOR DIVERSITY
HUGO PERALES
DEPARTAMENTO DE AGROECOLOGIA, EL COLEGIO DE LA FRONTERA SUR
ETIENNE VERNET
ECOROPA-FRANCE
LOTTE ASVELD
EURODUSNIE, ANARCHIST COLLECTIVE/POLITICAL CENTRE
EKOGAIA FOUNDATION
JAVIER M. CLAPAROLS, DIRECTOR
ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE PHILIPPINES
DR. M. ADETOLA BADEJO
ENPROCT RESEARCH GROUP
BOGDAN PARANICI, PRESIDENT
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION TER - ROMANIA
MAITE ARISTEGI, GENERAL SECRETARY, ENRIKE GISASOLA, UNION MEMBER RESPONSIBLE
FOR GENETIC ENGINEERING ISSUES, AND HELEN GROOME, TECHNICAL ADVISOR ON
GENETIC ENGINEERING ISSUES
EHNE: BASQUE FARMERS' UNION
BERHAN G. EGZIABHER, GENERAL MANAGER
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY OF ETHIOPIA
BETH BURROWS, PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR
THE EDMONDS INSTITUTE
PAT MOONEY
ETC GROUP WWW.ETCGROUP.ORG
HERBERT LOHNER, PROJEKTREFERENT
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH GERMANY - BERLIN BRANCH
FELIPE MONTOYA, PH.D., DIRECTOR
FUNDACIÓN MILPA (MISIÓN DE INTERCAMBIO ENTRE LABRADORES PARA EL
AMBIENTE)
FEDERATION OF INDONESIAN PEASANT UNION (FSPI)
PETER ROSSET
FOOD FIRST/ INSTITUTE FOR FOOD AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY , USA
WWW.FOODFIRST.ORG
GREEN PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA
GESTION AMBIENTAL COMUNITARIA PARA LA CONSERVACION DE
LA BIODIVERSIDAD
PROYECTOS DE DESARROLLO SIERRA NORTE DE OAXACA A.C.
GIRIJANA DEEPIKA ADIVASI PEOPLES ORGANIZATION , INDIA
CATARINA ILLSLEY, COORDINADORA GENERAL
GRUPO DE ESTUDIOS AMBIENTALES A.C.
HECTOR MAGALLON
GREENPEACE
DOREEN STABINSKY
GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL
RYAN ZINN
GLOBAL EXCHANGE
GE FREE L.A.
DIANA LUQUE
MEXICO
INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SLOVENIA
DR. HANS R. HERREN, DIRECTOR GENERAL
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
SUE EDWARDS AND DR. TEWOLDE
INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, ADDIS ABABA,
ETHIOPIA
PATRICK MULVANY
FOOD SECURITY POLICY ADVISER
ITDG WWW.ITDG.ORG WWW.UKABC.ORG
DR. BEATRIX TAPPESER
INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED ECOLOGY, GERMANY
BRIAN TOKAR
INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL ECOLOGY (WWW.SOCIAL-ECOLOGY.ORG)
ANDREA CARMEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
INTERNATIONAL INDIAN TREATY COUNCIL
CHELA VAZQUEZ
INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE AND TRADE POLICY
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' BIODIVERSITY NETWORK (IPBN), INTERNATIONAL
TEJO WAHYU JATMIKO (EXCECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
KONPHALINDO (NATIONAL CONSORTIUM FO FOREST AND NATURE CONCERVATION IN
INDONESIA) .
KECHUA-AYAMARA ASSOCIATION FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS "ANDES",
PERU
ALEJANDRO NADAL
ORGANIC FARMERS ASSOCIATION CENTRAL SLOVENIA
SIMON HARRIS
ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE ASSOCIATION FROM ALABANIA
ELLEN HICKEY
PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA
YEOH J. K., GE CAMPAIGN RESEARCH OFFICER
PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (PAN AP)
ROMEO F. QUIJANO, M.D., PRESIDENT
PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK PHILIPPINES
FERNANDO BEJARANO
RED DE ACCION SOBRE PLAGUICIDAS Y ALTERNITIVAS
WALAIPORN OD-OMPANICH
RURAL RECONSTRUCTION ALUMNI AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION,RRAFA
ANA MARÍA ACEVEDO TOVAR
RED CIN SOUTH AMERICA
DR UMA SHANKARI
RASHTRIYA RAITHU SEVA SAMITHI
DR.AGR. FRIEDRICH MUMM VON MALLINCKRODT
SARD PRIZE AWARD
SZYMON SIENIARSKI
SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL INSTITUTE
GILLIAN KERCHHOFF, NATIONAL COORDINATOR
SAFEAGE
ANDREW TAYNTON
SAFE FOOD COALITION (SOUTH AFRICA)
IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE NATURAL LAW PARTY.
JASON BOEHK
SARASOTA ALLIANCE FOR SAFE FOODS
INGER KÄLLANDER, PRESIDENT
SWEDISH ECOLOGICAL FARMERS ASSOCIATION
UNION OF SLOVENIAN ORGANIC FARMERS ASSOCIATIONS
UMANITERA, SLOVENIA
RORY SHORT, SOUTH AFRICA
RURAL VERMONT
CLARA INES NICHOLLS ,RESEARCH FELLOW, INSECT BIOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
VIA CAMPESINA
RAINER ENGELS, COORDINATOR
WORKING GROUP ON AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION OF THE GERMAN NGO-FORUM
ENVIRONMENT
& DEVELOPMENT
WYTZE DE LANGE
XMINUSY SOLIDARITYFUNDS
YAKSHI, INDIA
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