| Experts - "co-existence" of GM and GM-free crops is biologically impossible (30/9/2005) | |
|
Read speeches, exclusive interviews, and other resources about GMO contamination, "co-existence " and GM-free zones: http://www.consumersinternational.org/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=93963&int1stParentNodeID=89650&int2ndParentNodeID=89677 Experts maintain "co-existence" of GM and GM-free crops is biologically impossible Leading experts maintain that it is biologically impossible for GM and GM-free crops to co-exist, at a conference organised by Consumers International (CI) and Regione Emilia-Romagna. Ignacio Chapela, Associate Professor at University of California-Berkeley, told CI: ""Co-existence" might be a convenient thing to have politically or commercially but biologically it is an impossibility. For most GMOs the problem of contamination arises immediately: within one generation you have escaping genes." Ignacio Chapela was one of fourteen experts speaking at a conference '"Co-existence", contamination, and GM-free zones: Jeopardising consumer choice?' in Bologna, Italy on 9 September 2005. Speeches mostly tackled problems with GM contamination and how to legally and technically maintain GM-free agriculture. Angelika Hilbeck, ETH - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, told the conference: "trying to prevent GMO contamination starts with the seeds; you want to make sure you get uncontaminated seeds. This is the origin of everything - from there on the contamination multiplies. For example, in Canada it is hardly possible to get GM-free canola seeds any more. Even the seed stock has been contaminated at this point." Benedikt Haerlin, Director of Save our Seeds and Foundation on Future Farming, told CI: "[the term] "co-existence" as used by industry means that those rejecting GMOs have to accept a so-called minimum level of GM contamination." David Cuming, GM Campaigns Manager, Consumers International says: "Listening to the experts it is apparent that contamination will occur if GM crops are planted alongside GM-free crops. Governments must take urgent measures to stop GMO contamination to ensure that GM-free food remains widely available to all consumers." Read speeches, exclusive interviews, and other resources about GMO contamination, "co-existence " and GM-free zones: http://www.consumersinternational.org/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=93963&int1stParentNodeID=89650&int2ndParentNodeID=89677 Head Office |
|