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 (traducido por 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.
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Biosafety agreement reached in Curitiba
from www.haerlin.org/bsp

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.
in the plenary a deal was found that does improve the previous interim provisions but fall short of what the large majority of countries wanted. The last watering down of the text, orchestrated by the US and industry, was carried out by Mexico and Paraguay.

[ IPS Biosafety Protocol Alive, but Restricted | Earth Negotiations Bulletin coverage of Biosafety Protocol | Greenpeace: Better than nothing | Biotech Trade Watch: 2f5032d Video of last negotiations, Interview with Li Lim Lin (TWN) on results | Friends of the Earth: International Safety Laws Agreed ]
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Interesses comerciais vencem na MOP3
CURITIBA: MOP3COP8

Após uma semana marcada pelo impasse da rotulagem de cargas transgênicas,a Reunião das Partes do Protocolo de Cartagena (MOP3) alcançou o consenso pela proposta do contém transgênicos. O acordo foi atingido com a inclusão de um adendo proposto pelo México, que junto com Nova Zelândia e outros países estava bloqueando o avanço das negociações. O resultado pode ser considerado uma vitória das transnacionais de biotecnologia, pois o prazo para regulamentação foi estendido de quatro para seis anos, e foi eliminada a identificação obrigatória de exportações e importações de produtos geneticamente modificados no comércio entre países membros (que adotaram o Protocolo) e aqueles não-membros (que não adotaram o Protocolo). Desse modo o documento final permite importações de transgênicos originados de países não signatários do protocolo, como os EUA. Os EUA, apesar de não ter ratificado o protocolo, mandou uma forte delegação pra fazer o lobby de seus interesses.

[LEIA MAIS]: Acordo com o México possibilita consenso sobre o "contém" | Terminator, a próxima batalha em Curitiba | Indecisão na MOP 3: secretário executivo antecipa impasse entre os países | ritual de abertura do Fórum Internacional Indígena | ritual de abertura do Fórum internacional indígena II

Editoriais Anteriores:: Três Países Bloqueiam a MOP3 | Brasil defende rotulagem, mas biossegurança não está garantida | Expotrade impede venda de refeição orgânica | Via Campesina pressiona governo brasileiro na abertura da Conferência da ONU | Toma forma a Convenção Paralela da Via Campesina | Convenção mundial discutirá biossegurança em Curitiba

Sites Relacionados:: biotech.indymedia.org | www.cop8.org.br | www.iisd.ca | www.biodiv.org | www.fboms.org.br
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