FoE groups in Africa denounce dumping of illegal rice in West Africa
US food aid and commercial imports contaminated with illegal GM rice
http://www.eraction.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27

The march of GMOs across the world receives energy from illegal activities such as dumping and contamination. These methods make nonsense of regulatory efforts and require stringent responses. After failing to dump GMO food aid in Eastern Africa, it now appears that West Africa has become a target for dumping of illegal foods thus worsening our food situation.

Please see our press statement on our findings concerning LL601 contaminated rice sent to West Africa as food aid and through commercial imports.
http://www.eraction.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27

You can see the background information at the link below the press release.

The revelations of contamination by illegal GM rice in the food supply in Europe and Japan prompted FoE Africa to monitor the rice supply in West Africa, a region that imports most of the rice destined to Africa. Samples collected were sent in October 2006 to an independent laboratory in the United States. Testing results have confirmed that contamination by illegal GM rice LL601 has occurred in Ghana and Sierra Leone, main African recipients of rice as commercial imports and food aid from the United States. Many recalls of contaminated products have already taken place in Europe and Japan banned contaminated shipments.

Friends of the Earth groups in Africa are calling for an immediate recall of the contaminated products, and a thorough investigation of how this unauthorized contamination occurred.

For more information on some activities of FoE Africa GMO campaigns see
http://www.eraction.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=23

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