Say no to genetic engineering

A Hani farmer is holding his traditional rice seeds in his hand,
Yunnan Province, China.

Genetic engineering is threatening rice - the world's most important food.

While scientific progress on molecular biology has a great potential to increase our understanding of nature and provide new medical tools, it should not be used as justification to turn the environment into a giant genetic experiment by commercial interests. The biodiversity and environmental integrity of the world's food supply is too important to our survival to be put at risk.

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What's wrong with genetic engineering (GE)?

Genetic engineering enables scientists to create plants, animals and micro-organisms by manipulating genes in a way that does not occurnaturally.

These genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can spread through nature and interbreed with natural organisms, thereby contaminating non 'GE' environments and future generations in an unforeseeable and uncontrollable way.

Their release is 'genetic pollution' and is a major threat because GMOs cannot be recalled once released into the environment.

Because of commercial interests, the public is being denied theright to know about GE ingredients in the food chain, and therefore losing the right to avoid them despite the presence of labelling laws in certain countries.

Biological diversity must be protected and respected as the global heritage of humankind, and one of our world's fundamental keys to survival. Governments are attempting to address the threat of GE with international regulations such as the Biosafety Protocol.

We believe:

GMOs should not be released into the environment since there is not an adequate scientific understanding of their impact on the environment and human health.

We advocate immediate interim measures such as labelling of GE ingredients, and the segregation of genetically engineered crops and seeds from conventional ones.

We also oppose all patents on plants, animals and humans, as well as patents on their genes. Life is not an industrial commodity. When we force life forms and our world's food supply to conform to human economic models rather than their natural ones, we do so at our own peril.

Find out more:

- Go to the Food section to find out about: labelling legislation for GE products inyour country, how GE crops are used in animal feed and the corporate giants who are trying to control what you eat.

- Go to the Feeding the world - facts versus fiction section: to find out the truth about world hunger and why GE crops will not help.

- Go to the GE agriculture and genetic pollution section to find out about: the dangers of GE agriculture, which crops are currently being developed, genetic pollution and the dangers of patenting life.

- Go to the Biosafety Protocol section to find out about this important legislation that regulates the transboundary movements of GE and who is for and against it.

- Go to the Failings of GE section to find out about how the biotech industry is basing its products on crude and old-fashioned science.

Related Reports

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Bayer's Double Trouble

06 April 2009

The GE rice has been developed by Bayer CropScience AG, a subsidiary company of the German chemical giant Bayer AG. The rice – technical name LL62 – has been genetically-engineered to withstand high doses of glufosinate, sprayed on rice fields by farmers to control a wide range of weeds. The weeds will die, the GE rice will survive.

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Food Security and Climate Change

01 December 2008

Climate change will profoundly affect agriculture worldwide. Food security in many countries is under threat from unpredictable changes in rainfall and more frequent extreme weather. Farmers in poorer countries with harsh climate conditions will likely be most affected.

A review of recent scientific literature underlines that the most effective strategy to adapt agriculture to climate change is to increase biodiversity. A mix of different crops and varieties in one field is a proven and highly reliable farming method to increase resilience to erratic weather changes. And, the best ways to increase stress tolerance in single varieties are modern breeding technologies that do not entail genetic engineering, such as Marker Assisted Selection. In contrast, there is no evidence that genetically engineered (GE) plants can ever play any role to increase food security in a changing climate.

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Media briefing – GMO debate

24 November 2008

A media briefing on the GMO debate linked to the Ad hoc working group on the 24th of November and the Environment Council on the 4th of December 2008.

This briefing covers why the debate is important, the likely outcomes of the meetings and Greenpeace's demands.

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G8 and the Food Crisis – The Real Solutions

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