Media Release
For Immediate Release: Thursday 2nd December 1999
SOUTHERN COUNTRIES MUST FIGHT
BIOTECH STITCH-UP
Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), the world’s largest independent environmental network
with groups in more than 65 countries is calling on Southern governments at the WTO to resist
including biotechnology products and GM food and crops in the Millennium Round.
The US and EU are discussing a WTO Working Party on biotechnology to be agreed at this
Conference. FOEI representatives from Southern countries warn that this will be the ‘foot in the
door’ for biotechnology and GM to be included in WTO trade rules. This will damage the right of
countries to regulate the import of biotechnology on health, environmental or social grounds and
threaten their food security.
Most GM agricultural and food products are produced by Northern countries such as the US, EU,
and Japan. This will mean increased market access for such products into Southern country
markets and increase farmer and consumer dependence on Northern biotech giants. The
production of GM food and crops requires capital-intensive agricultural methods and will tend to
exclude small farmers from their landholdings.
The risks of GM foods and products to ecological diversity and human health remain unclear.
Laboratory tests cannot replicate the wider environmental conditions under which GMOs will be
reproduced. But the precautionary principle, which should cover trade in GMOs is not properly
recognised by WTO rules.
Commenting, Alberto Villareal of FOE Uruguay said:
‘The WTO is not the proper body to regulate trade in biotechnology and GMOs. This should be
done under the proposed UN Biosafety Protocol. We call on our friends and colleagues in
Southern country delegations at the WTO to resist this arrogant stitch-up by the EU and US and
their backers in the biotech multi-nationals.’
CONTACT:
Gerard Coffrey
Emmanuel Agyapong
Ryan Hunter
Alberto Villareal
Miguel Lovera
Vice Yu
Chowdhury MF
Accion Ecologica FOE Ecuador
FOE Ghana
FOE Slovakia
REDES FOE Uruguay
Sobrevivencia FOE Paraguay
Legal Rights and Natural
Resources Center FOE Philippines
FOE Bangladesh
(206) 953-6184
(206) 953-9433
(206) 953-4465
(206) 953-9287
(206) 953-6854
(206) 953-9178
(206) 953-6854