Upside Down World  [Printer-friendly version]
March 28, 2006

NATIONS CALL FOR GLOBAL MORATORIUM ON GENETICALLY ENGINEERED TREES

[Rachel's introduction: At an international conference on the United
Nations Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), delegates from around the
world called for a moratorium on the release of genetically
engineered trees.]

By Global Justice Ecology Project

On Wednesday, 22 March, delegates from countries around the world
raised the call for a moratorium on the release of genetically
engineered trees into the environment at the UN Convention on
Biological Diversity's (CBD's) Eighth Conference of the Parties in
Curitiba, Brazil.

Additional delegates also insisted that the CBD [UN Convention on
Biological Diversity] launch a thorough global examination of the
risks and impacts of genetically engineered trees -- risks which have
not, at this point, been adequately examined.

"Yesterday was truly an historic day," stated Orin Langelle, Co-
Director of the Global Justice Ecology Project and Coordinator of the
STOP GE Trees Campaign. "The alarm bells we have been sounding about
the genetic engineering of trees have finally been heard," he
continued.

"Promoters of this irresponsible and dangerous technology have now
officially been put on notice that people and countries around the
world stand firmly opposed to genetically engineered trees -- just as
GM crops and terminator technology are already opposed," stated
Lambert Okrah, of the Ghana chapter of the Global Forest Coalition.
"We further applaud the courageous and far-sighted positions of
countries such as Ghana, Iran, Norway, Madagascar, Egypt, Philippines,
Senegal, Malawi and others in raising the call for a moratorium on
genetically engineered trees," he continued.

Interventions in support of the call for a moratorium were presented
by Global Justice Ecology Project for the Women's Caucus, the
International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, Global Forest
Coalition, Greenpeace, and the Federation of German Scientists.

"Because there is insufficient scientific data regarding the
biological impacts of transgenic trees, as well as an absence of
socio-economic and cultural impact assessments, it is good scientific
practice to invoke the Precautionary Principle, which is enshrined in
the CBD," stated Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher of the Federation of German
Scientists. "This means no release of transgenic trees into the
environment whilst this research is on-going," she added.

The release of transgenic trees will inevitably and irreversibly
contaminate native forests, which will themselves become contaminants
in an endless cycle. The potential effects include destruction of
biodiversity and wildlife, loss of fresh water, desertification of
soils, collapse of native forest ecosystems, cultural destruction of
forest based traditional communities and severe human health impacts.
The negative effects of transgenic trees will impact many generations
to come.

Press release issued by Global Justice Ecology Project, Global Forest
Coalition, World Rainforest Movement, Friends of the Earth
International, EcoNexus and the STOP GE Trees Campaign.

Contact: Anne Petermann, Global Justice Ecology Project,
+1-802-578-6980

Simone Lovera, Global Forest Coalition, 41-9978-3582

========================================================

Intervention from the Women's Caucus Regarding Transgenic Trees.
March 22, 2006

Delivered by Anne Petermann

My name is Anne Petermann and I am the co-Director of Global Justice
Ecology Project. I am speaking today on behalf of the Women's Caucus
on the issue of transgenic trees, SBSSTA recommendation X1/11 para. 9.

People all over the world are rising up to oppose transgenic trees,
including 2,000 organizations that have signed onto a ban. Transgenic
trees are a unique case. Trees live for centuries if not millennia.
Pollen models created in 2004 by Duke University researchers
demonstrated pollen from native forests in the Southeast U.S.
traveling in air currents for more than 1,200km north into eastern
Canada. This means that transgenic trees cannot be regulated only at
the national level. Transboundary contamination of native forests with
transgenic traits is virtually assured. The Biosafety Protocol, which
is based on national borders, is not adequate.

The release of transgenic trees will inevitably and irreversibly
contaminate native forests, which will themselves become contaminants
in an endless cycle. The potential effects include destruction of
biodiversity and wildlife, loss of fresh water, desertification of
soils, collapse of native forest ecosystems, cultural destruction of
forest based traditional communities and severe human health impacts.
The negative effects of transgenic trees will impact many generations
to come.

Women are the ones who think in terms of generations. It is women in
rural and indigenous communities who will bear the greatest burden of
the impacts of GM tree plantations, just as they currently bear the
brunt of the impacts from conventional monoculture tree plantations.

The potential human health impacts of transgenic trees, especially Bt
trees, have not been adequately researched.

Numerous studies have raised serious questions about the potential
health impacts of Bt toxin. A series of published studies found that
Bt provokes a potent systemic immune reaction. Because the risk is
greater with inhalation than ingestion, engineering trees to produce
Bt toxin could be very dangerous. Plantations of Bt trees could
potentially lead to widespread outbreaks of sickness. Women and
children will bear the brunt of this.

In July, 2005 the FAO [United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization] published a report entitled "Preliminary Review of
Biotechnology in Forestry Including Genetic Modification." In it, over
half of researchers surveyed reported the environmental threat of
escape of transgenic pollen or plants into native ecosystems and
forests and their impacts on non-target species as a major concern.
The FAO report concludes, "New biotechnologies, in particular genetic
modification, raise concerns. Admittedly, many questions remain
unanswered for both agricultural crops and trees. Given that genetic
modification in trees is already entering the commercial phase with GM
populus in China, it is very important that environmental risk
assessment studies are conducted with protocols and methodologies
agreed upon at a national level and an international level and that
the results of such studies are made widely available."

In conclusion, the genetic engineering of trees is being driven by
corporate profit. There is no need for GE trees. Just as women and
indigenous peoples have been the traditional caretakers of
biodiversity, so must this body take action to prevent the ecological,
social, cultural and health disasters that will be unleashed by
genetically engineered trees.

The speed with which the technology is progressing is outpacing
regulation and risk assessment. There has been a severe lack of study
of the risks of GM trees, especially on a global scale. This lack of
risk assessment makes it common sense that there not be any further
forward motion in the release of transgenic trees. The CBD must impose
a moratorium on the technology and launch a thorough and global
examination of its risks. In addition, we ask those countries with
outdoor releases of GM trees to take immediate steps to halt the
further release of GM trees and to address those releases that have
already occurred.

For more details see our a briefing paper on the issue.

For more information, visit Globaljusticeecology.org.