WTO - GM crops, food aid and the Biosafety Protocol

From 10 to 14 September 2003, the World Trade Organization will meet for the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference, the highest decision-making body of the WTO. Criticism on the WTO is strong, and Indymedia will be in Cancun to give reports, interviews and background information.

Biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) crops will be high on the agenda this time. On 18 August 2003, the USA, Canada and Argentina officially introduced their requests to the WTO Dispute Settlement Body, stating that the EU moratorium had restricted the imports of agricultural and food products. EU consumers and farmers are adamant that they want GMO-free food and agriculture, but powerful agribusiness interests (en, es) including Monsanto and the American Farm Bureau Federation have been pressuring (pdf) the US government to use the WTO to force Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) onto a hostile EU consumer market.

Several GM crops and food products are allowed in the European Union, but no new GM crops have been authorized for planting or use since spring 1998. This "de facto" moratorium was made 'official' in June 1999 when five Member States - Denmark, France, Greece Italy and Luxembourg - issued a declaration that they would effectively block new GMO approvals until the European Commission proposed legislation for traceability and labelling of GMOs and products derived therefrom, based on the Precautionary Principle. The five countries were later joined by Austria and Germany. In July 2003 such regulations were agreed upon in the European Parliament, and producers will have to apply to the rules by January 2004. The EU moratorium is therefore likely to change, no matter whether there is a WTO complain. However, the US is likely to see the new regulations as trade barriers as well.

Questions wanted for interviews
volunteers of Indymedia Biotech

During the WTO meeting at Cancun, numerous Indymedia volunteers will be around to report, to get background stories and to do interviews.


We want your expertise for that: Who should we interview? What should we ask them?

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Please Sign on! Global Citizens Challenge to WTO and GM
Biodev 2003

During the Biodevastation conference in St. Louis, Missouri some of us (Brian Tokar, Mae-Wan Ho, Vandana Shiva) felt the need to be prepared to make a citizens challenge in the dispute that the US was threatening to initiate against Europe in the WTO because of Europe's de facto moratorium on GMOs.  In the Declaration of Biodevastation 7, the gathering had announced the citizens GMO challenge to the WTO dispute.

As we approach Cancun, this citizens' challenge can be a major mobilising tool for WTO related issues and the corporate takeover of our food system.
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English (original) | Castellano