EXTRACT: ActionAid Tanzania's Country Director, Aida Kiangi, said, "We are one of many NGOs who have seen the fallout from this technology on small farmers and their families in other countries, and I urge my fellow Tanzanians to beware of the serious risks before it is too late."
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Tanzania must guard against GMO pressure
TANZANIA ALLIANCE FOR BIODIVERSITY, 18 May 2011
http://db.zs-intern.de/uploads/1305710976-GMOPressReleaseTanzania.pdf
Dar es Salaam - An alliance of Tanzanian and International NGOs and businesses are urging government regulators to resist pressure to remove safety legislation protecting Tanzanian farmers and consumers.
Previously officially free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Tanzania is progressively opening the door to GM biotechnology. Biosafety regulations and guidelines have been approved and GM research has started in preparation for commercialisation.
Legislators are under extreme pressure from the GM biotechnology industry and stakeholders to relax the regulations, abandon the precautionary principle, and reduce the liability of seed companies in case of harm to people, loss to farmers, or damage to the environment.
Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity members believe that Biosafety regulations should be based on the precautionary principle and are convinced that introduction of GM crops or animals is not the right solution to fight poverty and hunger.
ActionAid Tanzania's Country Director, Aida Kiangi, said, "We are one of many NGOs who have seen the fallout from this technology on small farmers and their families in other countries, and I urge my fellow Tanzanians to beware of the serious risks before it is too late."
The Alliance cites evidence from the World Agriculture Report (IAASTDi) 2009. Developed by 400 scientists and endorsed by 61 governments including Tanzania, the 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. The core message of the report is the urgent need to move away from destructive and chemical-dependent industrial agriculture and to adopt environmental modern farming methods that champion biodiversity and benefit local communities.
The IAASTD concluded that such techniques as genetic engineering are no solution for soaring food prices, hunger and poverty. The report raises serious concerns about GM biotechnology's impact on smallholders, biodiversity, deforestation, insecticide use and intellectual property rights (IPRs). It highlights Africa's limited capacity to handle risk assessment: "Contamination of farmer-saved seed and threats to biodiversity in centers of origin are key concerns with respect to biotechnology and genetic engineering in particular. The environmental risks and evidence of negative health impacts mean that SSA's ability to make informed decisions regarding biotechnology research,
development, delivery and application is critical."
(IAASTD Sub Saharan Africa Summary for Decision Makers).
The Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity (TABIO) calls for active citizen involvement in the decision making processes which guide the development of GM biotechnology, and a moratorium on GMO's pending a widespread and consultative review of the risks and benefits.
Just launched, the Alliance has already brought together campaigners, organic exporters and NGOs including African Centre for Biodiversity, ActionAid Tanzania, Biolands, BioRe, BioSustain, Biolands, CVM/APA (Comunità Volontari per il Mondo / AIDS Partnership with Africa), Eastern & Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF), Envirocare, PELUM Tanzania, Swissaid, and Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement and Tancert. The Alliance joins similar movements in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda, to resist the Africa-wide pressure from the US-driven biotech industry.
ENDS
For more information and interviews contact: (Dar es Salaam): Sekela Kyomo, Communications Manager, ActionAid Tanzania, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +255 (0)755 789 999
Notes to Editors:
Press Call: Maelezo 12:00 noon Wednesday 18th May
Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity is an alliance of civil society and private sector organizations concerned with the conservation of agricultural biodiversity for livelihood security and food sovereignty.
The members of the alliance share the aims of conserving biodiversity and supporting sustainable development, promoting farmers' self-determination and food sovereignty, facilitating exchange of information and experiences concerning sustainable and healthy agriculture policies and practices, ensuring public awareness on issues of concern to the environment, agriculture and biodiversity, and promoting citizen involvement in the decisionmaking processes which guide the development of biotechnology particularly GMO.
Alliance members believe that Biosafety regulations should be based on the precautionary principle and are convinced that introduction of GM crops or animals are not the right solution to fight poverty and hunger.
Contacts to the Environment Division:
Mr. Stephen Nkondokaya
Cartagena Protocol National Focal Point
Ag. Assistant Director, Environment Policy and Planning
Division of Environment
Vice President's Office
Tel: (022) 2118416
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://envaya.org/TABIO
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tanzania-Alliance-for-Biodiversity/216280335064601