Global Organic Movement Denounces UN/FAO Support for Biotech

Web Note: The Organic Consumers Association is a member of IFOAM

IFOAM - International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

PRESS RELEASE

THE GENE REVOLUTION:
NO POTENTIAL FOR THE POOR - YET A THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT

The environment and biodiversity, not GMOs, need more FAO attention

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) based in Rome concludes in
its annual report "The state of food and agriculture 2003 - 4" that
biotechnology holds great promises for agriculture in developing
countries. FAO explains in its press release that biotechnology is much
more than genetically modified organisms. However, by not being precise
on which technology is meant exactly, the FAO contributes to diverting
the discussion on GMOs, the actual hot issue

Just like the FAO, IFOAM sees the need for increased food production to
provide food for the world's growing population. IFOAM shares the view
of FAO that 'The challenge is to develop technologies that combine
several objectives - increase yields and reduce costs, protect the
environment, address consumer concerns for food safety and quality,
enhance rural livelihoods and food security'. IFOAM, however, cannot
understand why FAO thinks these challenges can be addressed by a risky
technology out of reach of the poor. In its own press release, the FAO
states that only six countries, four crops and two traits are so far
involved in genetic engineering. IFOAM wonders why the poor have to wait
for future promises, when there is currently a 'user-friendly' low-cost
approach available that is environmentally and socially sound and has
substantial economic benefits: Organic Agriculture. IFOAM's new
Executive Director Dr. Zadok Lempert points out "through natural
technologies and methodologies already in place and human ingenuity,
organic agriculture not only opposes GMO technology, but also provides
many practical and functional ecological solutions to problems that
biotechnology attempts to or promises to solve."

If society, and the FAO in particular, want to work for and achieve real
sustainable, equitable and environmentally sound food security, it
should not endorse and promote the so-called "gene revolution", but an
organic revolution - as successfully practiced all over the world by
millions of organic and agroecological farmers.

Bonn, 19th May 2004

IFOAM's Position on Genetic Engineering and Genetically Modified
Organisms
http://www.ifoam.org/pospap/ge_position_0205.html

Organic Agriculture and Food Security - brochure
http://www.ifoam.org/OA_foodsecurity.pdf

Genetic Engineering Versus Organic Farming
http://www.ifoam.org/ge_ifoam_2.pdf

IFOAM Dossier #1: Organic Agriculture & Food Security (24 pages)
http://www.ifoam.org/dossier/foodsecurity.pdf

--
__________Uniting the Organic World ________________
IFOAM's mission is leading, uniting and assisting the organic movement
in its full diversity. Our goal is the worldwide adoption of
ecologically, socially and economically sound systems that are based on
the principles of Organic Agriculture.

Neil Sorensen
Communications and Events Coordinator
IFOAM Head Office
Charles-de-Gaulle Strasse 5
53113 Bonn
Tel: +49-228 926 50-16
Fax: +49-228 926 50-99
Email: n.sorensen@ifoam.org
Web: http://www.ifoam.org
Be part of the solution: http://www.ifoam.org/app_form/bepa2002.html
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