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Rice at risk

Greenpeace Thai activists seal off the GE papaya at the Khon Kaen agricultural research station of the Department of Agriculture. Enlarge Image

GE papaya scandal in Thailand

We warned the Thai government over a year ago not to play with genetically engineered (GE) papaya but they didn't listen. Although trials of the engineered food crop are banned, it seems they couldn't resist having a go themselves. Now they have left the whole country's papaya crop wide open to contamination.

A roadside stall selling papaya. Enlarge Image

The scent of GE Papaya

Papaya is the latest target of the genetic engineering (GE) industry. The Thai government is seeking to introduce the crop to Thailand despite the fact that GE papaya has already been a failure in Hawaii, the only place in the world where GE papaya is grown commercially. Behind this push are the GE industry's big players, hoping to expand corporate control of the food chain into Asia.

Chinese consumers turn their backs on GE food. Greenpeace Food Safety Roadshow visit to Huaying green community in Guangzhou. Enlarge Image

Food companies go GE-Free in China

In China, the world's largest food market, 32 food companies, producing 53 brands have agreed not to sell genetically engineered (GE) food. Although non-GE policy is already standard in many countries worldwide, this is the first time food producers have publicly committed to such a policy in China.

The Great Wall kept out foreign invaders: our virtual wall will keep out GE Enlarge Image

Great Wall against GE

Soya originated in China and has an agricultural history spanning over 5,000 years, but with the advent of genetically engineered (GE) soya all of this is now under serious threat. Through our GE campaign and our Great Cyber Wall we want to make sure that China can safeguard its heritage and one of its major food supplies.

Child in traditional costume in Yunnan Enlarge Image

The Yunnan experience

The spectre of genetically engineered (GE) rice is looming on the horizon, especially in China where the government plans to introduce it soon. To see what is at risk from this dangerous gamble we have been visiting heartlands of rice production in China and now you can share our amazing experiences.

Rice is life. Enlarge Image

Failures of Golden Rice

It was a great sales pitch: adopt this genetically engineered rice, and it'll save millions of children from blindness! It will end Vitamin A deficiency. They called it "Golden Rice." But if you queried their claims, or had concerns about possible genetic contamination of a global staple food, you were an environmental extremist who cared more about trees than children. It was, and is, fool's gold.

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