Few hours away from the official opening of the UN meeting of the Protocol on Biosafety that will take place in Nagoya (Japon) between 11 and 15 october, some 2,000 colourful demonstrators (diaporama; disporama2) took to the streets against genetically engineered (GE) food. I was priviledged to be some of the few westerners that could participate in the march right in the city centre of Nagoya. Percy Schmeisser, the Canadian farmer that was a victim of Monsanto was there too.
Although Japan doesn’t grow GE crops, it imports GE products and in particular GE canola from Canada. As a result, there is now GE canola contamination in around the ports of entry and along the transport roads. As Japan has a fish food culture, GE fish is of deep concerned to them too.
Many of the delegates I met were also shocked that the US FDA nearly approved GE salmon couple of weeks ago. The plan would be to produce GE salmon eggs in Canada, export them to Panama (or elsewhere like Chile) to raise the GE fish and sold the salmon to the US.
But will the 160 countries that have ratified the Biosafety Protocol actually adopt a ban on the commercialization of GE fish? It is too early to say.