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Signature campaign in Italy against genetic engineering
Rome (AFP) Oct 3, 2007 Nearly 30 Italian groups representing farmers, consumers and environmentalists on Wednesday launched a nationwide signature campaign against genetically modified food. "The unprecedented initiative for a popular debate aims to collect at least three million signatures," said spokesman Mario Capanna, once the leader of Italian student protests in 1968 and today the head of the Foundation for Genetic Rights. The 29 associations claiming to represent some 11 million people have formed a coalition, Italy/Europe Free of GMO (genetically modified organisms), and plan to hold more than 1,600 events between now and November 15 to get their message across. "Italy is known around the world for the quality of its natural food products," Capanna said. "It has a vast heritage of biological diversity that should not be threatened by GMO agriculture." The coalition includes Italy's biggest farmers' unions, the main consumer associations, environmental groups such as Greenpeace and the Worldwide Fund for Nature as well as an association of blood donors and COOP, a large, left-leaning chain of cooperative stores. Organisers hope to obtain an "unlimited moratorium" on growing genetically modified crops in Italy, where 14 of 20 regions have already declared themselves "GMO-free." "This isn't 'technophobia'," Capanna said. "We want a strictly scientific approach, we want more research." He added: "The consequences of these products have to be studied before they leave the laboratories ... to avoid any risk of mishap." jflm/gd/ach Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology
Feeding The World Without Genetic Engineering
Manhattan KS (SPX) Oct 02, 2007The work of a Kansas State University professor is challenging the assumption that genetically engineered plants are the great scientific and technological revolution in agriculture and the only efficient and cheap way to feed a growing population.Jianming Yu, an assistant professor of agronomy, is teaming with Rex Bernardo, a professor of agronomy and plant genetics at the University of Minnesota, on research with marker-assisted selection. |
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