Fwd: terminator seeds

[Guest guest]

This is one of those posts that we all need to be aware of as it affects all of us. Haddaway <iamdunroamin@...> wrote:

Subject: terminator seedsWhile not all of us live in Canada, this is soimportant to us all... so read up and be aware, act ifyou are in canada. I can going to raise a fuss eventho I am in the USA.Thanks for listening > Dear News Update Subscribers,> > The ETC Group (Action Group on Erosion, Technology> and Concentration) > headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada issued a> press release (posted> below) on Monday. They received a confidential memo> that reveals that at a> United Nations meeting this week in Bangkok, the> Canadian government will> attempt to overturn an international moratorium on> Terminator seed> technology.> > The Campaign has launched an ACTION ALERT in> response:>

http://www.thecampaign.org/alert_terminator.php> > Terminator seeds are genetically engineered to be> sterile and thereby> prevent farmers from saving seed. This is an> extremely risky and> controversial technology. Some scientists worry> about what could happen if> the terminator is unleashed on the environment. They> fear that terminator> technology could migrate from one farm to another,> or from a farm to wild> plants.> > And activists in developing nations are concerned> that the technology would> put too much power in the hands of a few> international agribusinesses.> > The Campaign has set up an ACTION ALERT that allows> you to send an instant> e-mail to the following Canadian officials:> 1) Prime Minister > 2) Hon. Andy , Minister of Agriculture and> Agri-Food> 3) F.B. Fadden,

President, Canadian Food Inspection> Agency> > Visit the following web address to TAKE ACTION NOW:> http://www.thecampaign.org/alert_terminator.php> > Thanks for taking the time to contact these Canadian> government officials.> > Craig Winters> President> The Campaign> PO Box 55699> Seattle, WA 98155> Tel: 425-771-4049> E-mail: mailto:label@...> Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org > >***************************************************************> > > Date: February 7, 2005> > ETC Group> News Release> 7 February 2005> www.etcgroup.org> > Canadian Government to Unleash Terminator Bombshell> at UN Meeting: All-out> push for commercialisation of Sterile Seed> Technology> > A confidential document leaked today to ETC Group> reveals that

the Canadian> government, at a United Nations meeting in Bangkok> (Feb 7-11), will attempt> to overturn an international moratorium on genetic> seed sterilisation> technology (known universally as Terminator). Even> worse, the Canadian> government has instructed its negotiators to "block> consensus" on any other> option. > > "Canada is about to launch a devastating kick in the> stomach to the world's> most vulnerable farmers - the 1.4 billion people who> depend on farm saved> seed," said ETC Group Executive Director Pat Mooney> speaking from Ottawa.> "The Canadian government is doing the dirty work for> the multinational gene> giants and the US government. Even Monsanto wasn't> prepared to be this> upfront and nasty. Canada is betraying Farmers'> Rights and food sovereignty> everywhere." > > Terminator

technology was first developed by the US> government and the seed> industry to prevent farmers from re-planting saved> seed and is considered> the most controversial and immoral agricultural> application of genetic> engineering so far. When first made public in 1998,> "suicide seeds"> triggered an avalanche of public opposition, forcing> Monsanto to abandon the> technology and prompting the UN Convention on> Biological Diversity (CBD) to> impose a de facto moratorium on its further> development. According to the> leaked instructions to Canadian negotiators at> SBSTTA 10 (a scientific> advisory body to the CBD), Canada will insist on> Wednesday (9 Feb.) that> governments accept the field testing and> commercialization of Terminator> varieties (referred to as GURTS -- Genetic Use> Restriction Technologies).> Canada will also attack

an official UN report,> prepared by an international> expert group, which is critical of the potential> impacts of Terminator seeds> on small farmers and Indigenous Peoples. In stark> contrast to Canada's> position, the expert report recommends that> governments seek prohibitions on> the technology. > > In Bangkok, civil society and Indigenous Peoples are> calling on the Canadian> government to abandon its endorsement of Terminator> and to join with other> governments to prohibit the technology once and for> all. Many African and> Asian governments have called for Terminator to be> banned and the European> Union has also been supportive of the existing> moratorium. > > "It is outrageous that Canada is backing an> anti-farmer technology and> shameful that it will 'block consensus' on any other> outcome.

Governments> from around the world must not accept this bullying> tactic," says ETC> Group's Hope Shand from the negotiations in Bangkok.> "If Canada blocks> decision-making on this issue, the moratorium will> be in jeopardy and> terminator seeds will be commercialized ending up in> the fields of small> farmers." > > The full leaked text of the Canadian government's> instructions to its> negotiators on Terminator/GURTS follows. > > Hope Shand and Jim of ETC Group can be> contacted at SBSTTA> negotiations in Bangkok on cell phone +44 (0) 7752> 106806 or by email> jim@... or hope@... > Pat Mooney (in Ottawa) +1 (613) 241-2267> etc@... > Kathy Jo Wetter (USA) +1 (919) 960-5223 email> kjo@... > > > The Head of the Canadian Delegation in Bangkok

is> McLean, Environment> Canada > email .Mclean@... tel +1 (819) 997-1303 > > ***> > "Advice on the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert> Group on Genetic Use> Restriction Technologies (GURTS); > > Canada has major reservations regarding the> recommendations in the AHTEG> report. Canada notes that the experts were unable to> reach consensus and> that while this is recognized in para. 15 of the> report, this should have> been made clear in the recommendation section of the> report. Unfortunately,> the report leaves the impression that consensus was> achieved on all of the> recommendations when this was clearly not case and> in particular in terms of> recommendation ( which reads as follows, "In view> of the current lack of> data, recommends that Parties and other Governments> consider

the development> of regulatory frameworks not to approve GURTs for> field-testing and> commercial use." > > Canada will suggest that the document clearly> indicate in the Annex that> there is no consensus on for the recommendations.> Alternatively, the AHTEG> report can be referred to as the "Chairs' report".> Canada also believes that> the AHTEG report contains scientific inaccuracies> and a lack of balance in> terms of reflecting both potential positive and> negative impacts of this> technology, and these issues should be addressed> before the report is> further distributed. We believe that it would be> beneficial for Parties and> other governments to submit comments to the> Executive Secretary/CHM to> represent national views to improve the accuracy of> the document, and that> these be made available to both the 8j

working group> and COP. > > Additionally, Canada will propose that SBSTTA adopt> a recommendation for> decision at COP8 based on the revised wording of> recommendation "b" below> and will propose this recommendation be incorporated> for consideration at> the 8j meeting: > > NEW WORDING for recommendation of AHTEG report> ( In view of the current lack of data, recommend> that Parties and other> Governments consider the development of domestic> regulatory frameworks TO> ALLOW FOR THE EVALUATION OF NOVEL VARIETIES,> INCLUDING THOSE WITH GURTS, FOR> FIELD TESTING AND COMMERCIAL USE BASED ON> APPROPRIATE SCIENCE-BASED> ENVIRONMENTAL RISK/SAFETY ASSESSMENTS. > > In Canada's opinion the revised wording we are> suggesting, strengthens the> recommendation and provides for a strong scientific> assessment of risk.

> > If we are unsuccessful in obtaining these additions> (indication that> recommendations in the AHTEG report were not based> on consensus OR agreement> to have national views submitted) AND changes to> recommendation "B" --or any> other outcome which clearly addresses our concern> over a defacto moratorium> on GURTS-- Canada is prepared to block consensus on> this issue." > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------------->__________________________________________________