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Via Campesina Disrupts CBD
Engaged adbusting during the CBD in Bonn
Agrofuels during the CBD in Bonn
Portuguese anti-GM crop action classified as terrorism.
Portuguese Judicial Police classifies action against genetically modified corn as a "terrorist" act in Europol report.
Alert: Stop Release of 1st Temperate GE Tree (Plum)
The US Department of Agriculture is accepting public comments between now and July 17, 2006 on a petition that would allow commercial growing and marketing of the first genetically engineered (GE) plum trees. If approved, this would remove all regulatory oversight of this GE variety, a virus-resistant plum tree known as the Honey Sweet Pox Potyvirus Resistant plum. This would open the door to GE varieties of many other related stone fruits, such as peaches, apricots, cherries and almonds, that are susceptible to the same virus. Ironically, this virus is not even found in the US today according to the USDA, and is certainly not a significant agricultural problem here.
waking up to breakfast in amsterdam, dying for soya in south america...
last week I had breakfast with two lovely activists in a squat in amsterdam. we had no soya milk, but strangely enough, soy was in almost everything else on the table except for the coffee (curdling? yick). but where does this soya come from, and why are kids dying for it to reach our tables? this interview begins to tell the story....
Eucalyptus Industry applies pressure to allow genetic
The subject of the genetically modified trees entered the lineup of the COP8 on this Thursday, March 30th. Korea and Venezuela presented a text that asked the moratorium on plantations or experiments with genetically modified trees, until more profound studies have been conducted. This discussion was not approved during the morning, which made possible meetings between countries and its delegations, before the discussion got resumed in the afternoon. The lobby of big corporations that form part of the Brazilian Delegation succeeded in getting the lawyer for Embrapa, Dr Simone Meira Dias, to represent Brazil. Simone, contradicting the agreement reached by the Delegation, spoke against the moratorium, as did Canada and Austria. Audio:: NGO Biogaucha Defense | Claudio Roberto, executive secretary of MMA Articles:: Brazil without leadership | Lobby of biotechnology companies | Brazil start world’s biggest forestall experiment| Field Work | CTNbio web site | NGO Biogaucha Defense web site Older Features:: Three Countries block MOP3 | Brasil defends labelling, but biosafety is not granted | Expotrade prevents sale of organic meal | Via Campesina pressures the Brazilian Government at UN conference opening | Via Campesina's Parallel Convention Takes Shape | Worldwide Convention will discuss biosafety at Curitiba Related Links:: Biotech IMC | Coptrix | Mea Bulletin | CDB web site | Brazilian government web site about CDB | Eco Info | UK Agricultural Biodiversity Coalition | FBOMS
"We're practically in a play"
With this sentence, Fernando Mathias, from the Social-Environmental Insitute, sums up the indecision of the Biological Diversity Convention (CDB-COP8) on the matter of access to genetical resources and division of benefits. According to him, the conflict of interests between countries that hold genetical resources (underdeveloped) and countries that hold the tecnology to explore them (developed) is being moved to foruns where developed countries are stronger, like Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Reinforcing the tesis of the ending of CDB's competences, the president of the US, George W. Bush, has sent to the american congress a law project for a 50% reduction on the amount of resources sent to the Global Environment Facility (GEF). GEF is responsible for maintaining CDB, which is in serious danger of becoming unviable in case the project is aproved.
Terminator rejected! A victory for the people
Just an hour ago here in Brazil, the Chair of the UN meeting announced that governments have agreed to reject language that would have undermined the moratorium on Terminator.
VIA CAMPESINA PRESSURES Brazilian GOVERNMENT IN THE OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE UN
At the monday's afternoon(03/13), in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, the Via Campesina carried out a march during the opening of the MOP3. The peasants were pressure the brazilian government for that this mark favorable position to make clear the labelling of genetically modified shipments. Around 500 militants entered marching in the Expotrade Pinhas, to participate of the Global Forum of the Civil Society, organized by NGOs and social movements. know more: [MOP3] march 13rd | Notes about debates 13/03
Biosafety agreement reached in Curitiba
Commercial interests win in the MOP3
After a week marked by the deadlock of labelling GMO loads, the Cartagen Protocol parties´ conference (MOP3) reached a consensus through the proposal of "contains GMOs". The agreement was achieved with the inclusion of an addendum proposed by Mexico, who was blocking the negotiations together with New Zealand and other countries. The result can be considered as a victory by the biotechnology transnationals, seen that the time defined to regulate it was extended from four to six years, and the obligatory identification of GMO exports and imports on the market between members (those who adopted the Protocol) and those non-members (those who haven´t adopted the Protocol) was eliminated. This way the final document allows GMO importations from non-signatory countries of the Protocol, such as the USA. The USA, despite his non-ratification of the protocol, has sent a strong delegation to create a lobby of his interests. Until 2012 the identification of GMO or conventional loads will depend on the technical capacity of each country. Altogether, the global community will have to wait six years to know accurately what circulates through the national frontiers. According to the protocol, nations that don’t have the capacity to do so, will receive assistance to implement the labeling rules until the stipulated time. To Greenpeace, "the responsibility of the MOP3´s small advance devolves mostly on the biotechnology multinationals, agrobusiness and the GMO exporting countries, such as Canada, USA and Argentina, which once more were able to turn an UN environmental conference into a space of pure commercial interests. The failure of the MOP3 served as a preliminary of what is going to be the 8th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB COP8), which will also be held in Curitiba, on March 20-31. The CDB tends to make international coordination efforts to preserve and carry on the planet´s biodiversity. CDB and COP8´s most polemic issues will be: distribution of benefits derived from the use of genetic resources; the terminator seed moratory; biodiversity´s preservation and use and the implementation of Working Programs of Protected Areas, Forests, Coastal and Marine Biodiversity inside the fixed time (2010 to forests and 2012 to marine and coastal areas). While the biotechnology transnationals get to impose their interests, approximately a thousand Via Campesina’s farmers continues to occupied the Syngenta Seeds´ GMO experimental camp, in Santa Teresa do Oeste, PR. The camp is illegal, because it´s on a damping zone of the Iguaçú Park, where the plantation of GMOs is not allowed. However, the a local judge (from the city of Cascavel), Fabrício Priotto Mussi, conceded a threshold of eviction favorable to Syngenta Seeds, ordering the evacuation of the land in five days. The judge fixed a daily fine of R$100,00 to each member of the occupation in case the court order doesn’t get complied on the settled deadline. Although, the farmers decided to remain there until the federal government shuts down all the corporation’s activities.
Contamination case in organic agriculture - Catalonia (Spain)
Last Sunday 26th February 2006, more than 50 persons cut down a contaminated organic maize field, and burned the nearly 4 tonnes of maize in protest for the situation organic farmers are living in Catalonia as a consequence of the expansion of GM maize fields.
Curitiba 2006 - For strict labelling and against terminator seeds
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Nature for people - not for business! 
VIA CAMPESINA JOINS BIODIVERSITY DAY CELEBRATIONS
We combined our Bonn sightseeing tour with some adbusting. The city of Bonn has placed 450 billboards around the town: “Biological diversity needs our engagement” Nice, but oh so vague – they fail to say anything about how and why our lifestyles are destroying biodiversity, or how to preserve it. To prevent further loss of biodiversity we have to challenge not only our shopping habits, but also the corporate-governmental elites who are driving the destruction.
An overview of agrofuel related background information, actionplans, workshops, statements, press releases and links to active organisations.
A few weeks ago GM Watch started producing podcasts: audiofiles with interviews and reports on GM issues, adding another dimension to their excellent email list on - to say it in their own words - "the use of hype, propaganda and spin to promote this technology, and on exposing the role played by corporate-friendly scientists, industry front groups, PR companies, lobbyists, and political groups."
It was with relief but mixed feelings that the delegates and observers of the Biosafety Protocol meeting in Curitiba welcomed a last minute agreement on the contentious issue of identification and documentation of international shipments of GMOs in food, feed and for processing. After 4 days of intensive negotiations, which went into 6 a.m. in the morning of Friday in the "friends of the chair" drafting group and lasted until 8 p.m.
After 11 years of negotiations, the final round in the question of trade of GMOs might have started today. Delegates from 
video coverage from 
