MORE ON STRALINK & GM IN FOOD AID

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GMW: MORE ON STRALINK & GM IN FOOD AID/StarLink y

transgenicos ilegales en Centroamerica

 

 

" GM WATCH " <info

Wed, 16 Feb 2005 21:02:37 GMT

 

 

MORE ON STRALINK & GM IN FOOD AID

http://www.gmwatch.org

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MORE INFORMATION: http://www.humboldt.org.ni/transgenicos/denuncia.htm

MESSAGE IN SPANISH from Julio Sanchez below press release.

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PRESS RELEASE

 

WORLD FOOD PROGRAME AND UNITED STATES DENOUNCED FOR DISTRIBUTING

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD IN CENTRAL AMERICA

 

A genetically modified maize unauthorized for human consumption,

StarLink, was found in food aid distributed by the World Food Programme in

Central America.

 

February 16, 2005, Managua, San Salvador, San Jose, Guatemala,

Tegucigalpa -- More than 70 environmental, consumer, farmer, human rights

groups and unions from six Central American and Caribbean countries

denounced in simultaneous press conferences today the presence of

unauthorized Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in food aid

distributed by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and in

commercial imports of food originating mostly from the US.

 

The organizations requested the WFP to immediately recall all food aid

containing GMOs.

 

" The WFP by introducing food aid with GMOs is placing at risk our

children and pregnant women, the most vulnerable people in our

society. The

GMOs identified are not authorized in our country and the World Food

Programme must immediately recall them " , said Julio Sanchez from Centro

Humboldt in Nicaragua.

 

" In Nicaragua our farmers produce enough food and the WFP should buy

any needed food within our country, instead of using imported food with

GMOs " , added Sanchez.

 

In total over fifty samples of maize and soy from food aid in

Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and from commercial

imports in

Costa

Rica and Dominican Republic were sent to Genetic ID, an independent

U.S. laboratory, to verify whether GMOs were present.

 

In more than 80% of all samples sent to the laboratory GMOs were

identified.

 

Food aid has been identified as the main reason behind the presence of

GMOs in countries of the region. In Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador

and

Guatemala all samples of food aid sent to the laboratory tested

positive for GMOs.

 

The presence of GMOs in the only sample in which GM levels were tested,

a bag from Guatemala, was higher than 70%.

 

It is important to note that the Genetically Modified maize

unauthorised for human consumption StarLink was for the first time

found in food

aid distributed directly by the WFP.

 

StarLink has never been authorized for human consumption anywhere in

the world due to the potential allergenic content of its genetically

modified protein. This maize was initially authorized for animal feed,

but

in 2000 it was found in human food products and authorities spent

millions of

dollars to remove it from the market and banned its planting

altogether.

 

Subsequently, it was found in Japan and Korea and was also immediately

recalled from markets there. In 2002 it was also found in USAID food

aid sent to Bolivia.

 

" It is not acceptable that a maize which is illegal for human

consumption worldwide is contained in food aid distributed in our

country.

Finding

StarLink four years after it was banned clearly shows that genetically

modified foods are not under control " , added Mario Godinez of CEIBA in

Guatemala.

 

Commercial imports of food containing maize and soy mostly from the US

were monitored in Costa Rica and Dominican Republic, countries which

are

not food aid recipients. Over 75% of all samples sent to the laboratory

from there were positive.

 

" The unwanted presence of unlabelled GMOs shows that Costa Rica

urgently needs a ban on GMOs. In order to protect our population it is of

utmost

importance now more than ever to act with great caution, " said Fabian

Pacheco of the Social Ecology Association in Costa Rica.

 

For background information see http://www.humboldt.org.ni

 

For more information Contact:

In Nicaragua, Julio Sanchez, Centro Humboldt-FoE Nicaragua, Tel: +505

250

6454 or +505 843 7571, biodiversidad (Spanish)

 

In Nicaragua, Juan Lopez, Friends of the Earth International, tel

+393331498049 (Spanish, English, French, Italian) or 505-6269504 (till

Feb. 19 only)

 

In Guatemala Mariano Godinez, CEIBA-FoE Guatemala, Tel: +502 7839 6033

or

+502 7839 10 33 or +502 5718 28 40, ceibauno (Spanish)

 

In El Salvador, Edith Campos, CESTA-FoE El Salvador Tel: +503 220 3000,

cesta (Spanish)

 

In Honduras, Francis Osorio, Madre Tierra-FoE Honduras Tel: +504 237

5700,

atoldeelote (Spanish)

 

In Costa Rica, Isaac Rojas, COECOCEIBA-FoE Costa Rica, Tel: +506 399

7203,

gavitza , y Fabian Pacheco, AESO, Tel: +506 810 9999,

ecologismoprofundo (Spanish, English)

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Estimados colegas,

 

Quisiera anunciarles que hoy 16 de abril hemos hecho una denuncia a

nivel centroamericano denunciando la presencia de transgénicos en ayuda

alimentaria e importaciones comerciales de maíz y soya a Centroamerica y

el Caribe. Entre los transgénicos identificados hemos encontrado

StarLink, ilegal para consumo humano en todo el mundo.

 

Esta denuncia la hemos efectuado en el marco de la Alianza

Centroamericana de protección a la biodiversidad, compuesta por los

grupos de

Amigos de la Tierra en Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador,

Honduras y así como la Asociación de Ecología Social en Costa Rica.

 

Vamos a estar trabajando muy intensamente en los próximos días para

asegurarnos que los Gobiernos, instituciones de Centroamerica y el Caribe

y que se tome en serio la urgencia de este tema y la denuncia que hemos

realizado, y que se tomen las medidas necesarias para evitar que esta

situación continue.

 

Toda la información sobre la denuncia la pueden encontrar en:

 

http://www.humboldt.org.ni/transgenicos/denuncia.htm

 

En solidaridad

 

Julio Sánchez,

 

Coordinador Programa de Transgénicos Amigos de la Tierra en

Centroamerica

 

 

 

 

 

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