Yet more evidence AgBiotech is more than a bad idea.It's doing more harm than good for everyone. ExceptAgBiotech, of course.
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original-gmwatchNo role for GMOs in solving poverty and hunger (15/4/2008)
EXTRACT: 'Dependency on world agricultural commodity prices and speculation, as well as on seed and toxic agricultural inputs controlled by a few transnational players is literally a kiss of death for small-scale and poor farmers.'
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Urgent changes needed in global farming practices to avoid environmental destruction Greenpeace International, 15 APRIL 2008
*World's leading scientists condemn industrial farming methods and see no role for GE as a solution to soaring food prices and hunger crisis fears*
AMSTERDAM, International, 15 April 2008 – Greenpeace welcomed the publication today of the first assessment of global agriculture as an historic opportunity to replace destructive chemical-intensive agriculture with methods that work with nature not against it. The report says industrial agriculture has failed and, regarding genetically engineered (GE) crops, found they are no solution for poverty, hunger or climate change.
Some 60 governments signed the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD)'s final report <1> last week in Johannesburg, South Africa. The United States, Canada and Australia were the only governments in attendance not to sign. Despite being among the stakeholders who selected the report's authors, they accuse the assessment of being 'unbalanced' and are attacking the authors' independence <2>.
'This report proves we can produce more and better food without destroying rural livelihoods and our natural resources. Modern farming solutions champion biodiversity, are labour intensive and work with nature, not against it,' says Benny Härlin from Greenpeace International, who was on the IAASTD’s governing body. 'This report is a call for governments and international agencies to redirect and increase their funding towards a revolution in agriculture that is firmly agro-ecological.'
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complete article
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