Fwd: Announcing - The Case for A GM-Free Sustainable World

[Guest guest]

Sun, 15 Jun 2003 04:27:38 +0100

 

Announcing - The Case for A GM-Free Sustainable World

press-release

 

The Institute of Science in Society

Science Society Sustainability

http://www.i-sis.org.uk

 

General Enquiries sam

Website/Mailing List press-release

ISIS Director m.w.ho

===================================================

 

Embargoed until 15 June 2003

 

Announcing

The Case for A GM-Free Sustainable World

*************************************

The Independent Science Panel on GM Final Report

Now on ISP Website www.indsp.org

 

The independent Science Panel (ISP) on GM - launched 10 May 2003 at a public

conference in London attended by the then UK environment minister Michael

Meacher and 200 other participants - consists of dozens of prominent scientists

from seven countries, spanning the disciplines of agroecology, agronomy,

biomathematics, botany, chemical medicine, ecology, histopathology, microbial

ecology, molecular genetics, nutritional biochemistry, physiology, toxicology

and virology.

 

As their contribution to the global GM debate, the ISP has compiled a complete

dossier of evidence on the known problems and hazards of GM crops as well as on

the manifold benefits of sustainable agriculture. This dossier, based on more

than 200 references to primary and secondary sources, is now published as their

official report, The Case for a GM-Free Sustainable World.

 

This ISP Report will be submitted to all national and international forums to

call for a ban on all environmental release of GM crops to make way for

sustainable agriculture.

 

Coinciding with the launch of the ISP report on 15 June 2003, The Case for a

GM-Free Sustainable World will also be available on the following websites

worldwide:

 

 

Institute of Science in Society, UK www.i-sis.org.uk

 

Third World Network www.twnside.org.sg

 

Institute for Food and Development Policy (Food First), USA www.foodfirst.org

 

 

Please log onto www.indsp.org to add your signature in support of the ISP

Report, or send an e-mail message to info indicating your support.

 

Distribute this message widely.

 

Demand that proponents of GM crops answer the case presented, as their case has

yet to be made.

 

***Also on the ISP website are photographs from the highly successful launch

conference, summaries and texts of the talks, with power point presentations and

slides. Available for sale are hard copies of the ISP Report, audio

CDs/cassettes and video cassettes of the entire conference ***

 

Quotes from some ISP members & contact details:

*******************************************

Prof. Joe Cummins

Prof. Emeritus of Genetics, University of Western Ontario, Canada

 

" The public must be informed of the extensive crop contamination, genetic

instability and reduced yields from the widespread use of genetically modified

crops in North America. Even more, the looming tests and production of

biopharmaceutical crops threaten the health and survival of humans and wildlife

alike. Britain should say ‘no’ now to stop this global nightmare. "

Contact: jcummins; tel: + 1-519-681-5477

 

Dr. Mae-Wan Ho of the Institute of Science in Society, who initiated the move to set

up the ISP

 

" Many scientists are concerned over the safety of GM. We believe people should

have all the evidence in front of them, so they can make the right choice for

the future of agriculture and food security. But all they’ve been getting from

official sources are hype and propaganda on the supposed benefits of GM crops.

We set up the Independent Science Panel because we have lost confidence in the

official process. "

Contact: m.w.ho; tel: 44-(0)20-7272-5636

 

Lim Li Ching

Researcher, Institute of Science in Society and Third World Network

 

" Many farmers around the world already have the knowledge, experience and

innovative spirit that motivate sustainable agriculture. Learning from them

means rethinking agriculture and associated policy making, and exploring how

traditional knowledge and science can work together. "

Contact: ching; tel: 44-(0)20-8643 0681

 

Dr Eva Novotny

Astronomer and campaigner on GM issues for Scientists for Global Responsibility,

SGR

 

" Even minor tampering with nature is apt to bring serious consequences, as did

the introduction of a single chemical (DDT). Genetic engineering is tampering on

a monumental scale, and nature will surely exact a heavy toll for this

trespass. "

Contact: eva.novotny; tel: 44(0)1223-351772

 

Prof. Bob Orskov

Formerly Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen, Scotland; Director, International

Feed Resources Unit; Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE; Fellow of

the Polish Academy of Science

 

" I am very happy to be a member of the ISP. My concern is mainly the relentless

push by GM protagonists to pretend to have the solutions for hunger and poverty

in Africa and Asia, who think they can by corrupt means get them to grow GM

crops. How wrong they are. Having been concerned with poverty alleviation in

many countries, I have yet to meet a situation that can be solved by GM. There

are so many other solutions that are safe and sustainable. "

 

Contact: Boborskov or b.orskov; tel: 44(0)1224 498243

(work) or 44(0)1651 862351 (home).

 

 

Dr. Peter Rosset

Agricultural ecologist and Co-Director, Institute for Food and Development

Policy, Oakland, California, USA

 

" There is no pressing need for GM crops, as world agriculture is in

overproduction, and people go hungry because of poverty, not because of lack of

GM seeds, when they are too poor to buy from the plenty around them. "

 

Contact: rosset; tel: +1-510-654-4400 x224; fax: +1-253-295-5257;

cell: +1-510-717-5490

 

Prof. Oscar Zamora

Professor of Agronomy, Department of Agronomy, University of the Philippines Los

Banos-College of Agriculture (UPLB-CA), College, Laguna, The Philippines

 

" For every application of genetic engineering in agriculture in developing

countries, there are several less hazardous and more sustainable approaches and

practices with hundreds, if not thousands, of years of safety record behind

them. "

 

" None of the GM applications in agriculture today are valuable enough to farmers

in developing countries to make it reasonable to expose the environment, farmers

and the consumers to even the slightest risk. "

Contact: obz; tel: +(6349) 536-2217/ 2466/ 2468; tel/fax: +(6349)

536-2468

 

For further quotes see " Quotes from ISP members "

 

For more information, please contact: ISP, PO Box 32097, London NW1 0XR

 

===================================================

This article can be found on the I-SIS website at http://www.i-sis.org.uk/

If you would prefer to receive future mailings as HTML please let us know.

If you would like to be removed from our mailing list - please reply

to press-release with the word in the subject field

===================================================

CONTACT DETAILS

The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 32097, London NW1 OXR

telephone: [44 20 8643 0681] [44 20 7383 3376] [44 20 7272 5636]

 

General Enquiries sam

Website/Mailing List press-release

ISIS Director m.w.ho

 

MATERIAL IN THIS EMAIL MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT PERMISSION, ON

CONDITION THAT IT IS ACCREDITED ACCORDINGLY AND CONTAINS A LINK TO

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/

 

 

 

Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

To , e-mail to: Gettingwell-

Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell

 

 

 

SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!