4. the right to food safety and
security
Friends of the Earth International
believes that people have the right to
decide what they grow and what they eat.
Just as we should be able to decide what we
put on our tables, farmers and communities
should also have the right to grow the
crops they choose for their own food
security and sustainable livelihoods. In
Costa Rica , for example, although farmers
have rehabilitated the forests and water
sources previously degraded by banana
plantations, they are still struggling to
keep the Standard Fruit Company from
confiscating their homes and croplands.
Friends of the Earth has serious
concerns and legitimate concerns about the
risks of genetically modified foods and
crops (GMOs) for consumers, farmers,
wildlife and environments around the world.
In Mexico , the center of origin for maize,
biological diversity and food security are
threatened by contamination by
genetically-modified crops. O ur Bite Back
campaign challenges attempts by the United
States and others to prevent countries from
deciding whether or not to allow
genetically modified food and farming.
Farmers' rights, based on the “ past,
present and future contributions of farmers
in conserving, improving, and making
available plant genetic resources,
particularly those in the centres of
origin/diversity" (Food and Agriculture
Organization) are increasingly gaining
recognition. However these rights are also
increasingly threatened, not only by
genetic contamination, but also by
Intellectual Property Rights, which allow
corporations to privatize the knowledge
shared between farmers over
generations.
more information:
Genetically Modified Crops: A
Decade of Failure, Friends of the Earth
International:
www.foei.org/publications/link/gmo
GRAIN:
www.grain.org
Action Group on Erosion, Technology and
Concentration (ETC):
www.etc.org
