Franken Foods: MAKING THE WORLD HUNGRY FOR GM CROPS

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GMW: MAKING THE WORLD HUNGRY FOR GM CROPS

" GM WATCH " <info

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 09:02:53 +0100

 

 

 

 

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News release \ New from GRAIN

25 April 2005

http://www.grain.org/go/usaid

 

MAKING THE WORLD HUNGRY FOR GM CROPS

 

The United States government is forcing genetically modified (GM) crops

onto countries around the world. A new report [1] by GRAIN shows how

the US agency for international development (USAID) is a central part of

its multi-pronged strategy.

 

USING CARROTS...

 

The report demonstrates how the US government uses financial incentives

and agricultural support to steer governments into opening their

countries to GM crops. And USAID in particular has been using a number of

different strategies to ensure that this happens as quickly as possible.

Within target countries, GM projects are quickly set up with the support

of a barrage of workshops.

 

" USAID is not the neutral international aid agency looking to help

countries assess the implications of GM crops. Instead, they're out to

spread GM crops for the benefit of US corporations - pure and simple, "

said

GRAIN.

 

... AND STICKS

 

And when the incentives don't work, the US government uses sticks to

ensure that countries toe the US line. USAID " assistance " is always

backed up by aggressive bilateral and multilateral dealings.

 

For example, the US suddenly pulled out of bilateral negotiations with

Egypt on a free trade deal when the country crossed the US in its GM

policy. " I can relate all of these problems to Egypt's decision to

withdraw its support for the US challenge on the ban of imports of

genetically modified foods to the EU, " said Mostafa Zaki, of the Egyptian

Federation of Chambers of Commerce

 

UNPLEASANT RELATIONSHIPS

 

The relationship between USAID, US corporations and pro-GM institutions

is very close, often seamless. The report investigates some of these

relationships and discovers a tangled web of a powerful network with the

sole aim of pushing GM crops on the four corners of the world.

 

" Ultimately this is all about smoothing the way for US GM corporations

to import their own GM crops " said GRAIN.

 

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NOTES:

 

[1] GRAIN, 2005, USAID: Making the world hungry for GM crops, GRAIN

Briefing, 30pp http://www.grain.org/briefings/?id=191.

 

This briefing examines how the US government uses USAID to actively

promote GM agriculture. The focus is on USAID's major programmes for

agricultural biotechnology (such as ABSP and PBS) and the regions where

these programmes are most active in parts of Africa and Asia. These USAID

programmes are part of a multi-pronged strategy to advance US interests

with GM crops. Increasingly the US government uses multilateral and

bilateral free trade agreements and high-level diplomatic pressure to

push

countries towards

the adoption of many key bits of corporate-friendly regulations related

to GM crops. And this external pressure has been effectively

complimented by lobbybing and funding from national and regional USAID

biotech

networks.

 

View and download from: http://www.grain.org/go/usaid

 

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GOING FURTHER:

 

GM Watch, website focusing on the use of hype, propaganda and spin to

promote GM, and on exposing the role played by corporate-friendly

scientists, industry front groups, PR companies, lobbyists, and political

groups: http://www.gmwatch.org/

 

Caroline Brenner, " Telling Transgenic Technology Tales: Lessons from

the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project (ABSP) Experience, " ISAAA

Briefs No. 31. ISAAA: Ithaca, NY. 2004: http://www.isaaa.org/kc

 

Mariam Mayet, " Africa: the new frontier for the GE Industry, " Third

World Resurgence, Issue NO. 159-160, Feb 2004:

http://www.biosafetyafrica.net/briefing_papers.htm

 

Herbert Docena, " Silent Battalions of 'Democracy', " Middle East Report

232, Fall 2004: http://www.merip.org/mer/mer232/mer232.html

 

Greenpeace, " USAID and GM Food Aid, " October 2002,

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/MultimediaFiles/Live/FullReport/5243.pdf

 

Noah Zerbe, " Feeding the Famine? American Food Aid and the GMO Debate

in Southern Africa, " The GE Information Bulletin, No. 31, March 2005:

http://www.geinfo.org.nz/032005/03.html

 

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