GMW: Experts - co-existence biologically impossible

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GMW: Experts - " co-existence " biologically impossible

" GM WATCH " <info

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 13:32:32 +0100

 

 

 

 

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Read speeches, exclusive interviews, and other resources about GMO

contamination, " co-existence " and GM-free zones:

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QUOTE: " " Co-existence " might be a convenient thing to have politically

or commercially but biologically it is an impossibility. "

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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 & int1st\

ParentNodeID=89650 & int2ndParentNodeID=89677

 

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