Alert: Stop Release of 1st Temperate GE Tree (Plum)
Global Justice Ecology Project

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.

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"We're practically in a play"
IMC BRAZIL

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.

VIA CAMPESINA PRESSURES Brazilian GOVERNMENT IN THE OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE UN
AGAINST GENETICALLY MODIFIED

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.

PICTURES OF VIA CAMPESINA ACT

know more: [MOP3] march 13rd | Notes about debates 13/03

Curitiba 2006 - For strict labelling and against terminator seeds
clara

After 11 years of negotiations, the final round in the question of trade of GMOs might have started today. Delegates from 132 countries who have signed the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety are meeting in Curitiba for the Third Meeting of Parties (COP8/MOP3). One of the main issues will be the labelling of GMOs (Article 18).

[ Background information and reports from Curitiba: Official website (CBD and CPB) | GM contamination register | Ban Terminator campaign, glossary | etc group | Panos | Friends of the Earth International incl. briefings on the WTO case | Third World Network Biosafety Information Network | Greenpeace International Biosafety Protocol 2006 ]
[ Actions & endorsements: Urge President Lula to defend the Cartagena Protocol | Sign on to ban Terminator]
[ News from Curitiba: IMC Brazil | IMC Curitiba blog | Earth Negotiation Bulletin | Biotrade Watch nearly live video coverage from KanalB and EED in English, Portuguese and German | Student blog | Biosafety Protocol News (blog) ]
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