Side event at MOP4 in Bonn
Tuesday 13th May 2008, 13.15hr; Saal Schumann, Maritim, Bonn Germany
Who is liable for the socio-economic and environmental damage caused by GM monocultures in Latin America and Europe?”
Liability for damage resulting from transboundary movements of GMOs will be at the centre of attention during MOP4. And at last, socio-economic concerns will be discussed in the context of the international biosafety negotiations (article 26 of the Cartagena Protocol).
To address this issue properly, it is important to learn from the wider impacts of current experiences of growing transgenic crops. The widespread cultivation of GM herbicide-resistant crops in Latin America causes impacts ranging from biodiversity loss, acute and chronic health problems due to pesticide use, land conflicts and human rights violations. In Spain, GM maize contamination is damaging organic and conventional producers. Who will be held liable for this damage under the Cartagena Protocol? Effective liability schemes should address both social and environmental damage, but also damage caused by GMOs which have not crossed borders through international trade. International demand for agricultural commodities like soy, palmoil, maize and sugar cane is growing because of increased meat consumption and the promotion of the use of agrofuels. Resistance is growing on both sides of the Atlantic, but the people involved are increasingly being criminalised for speaking out.
Speakers:
- Lilian Joensen, Grupo de Reflexion Rural, Argentina: "17 Years GMO experience in Argentina: the impacts of RoundupReady soya and RoundupReady maize"
- Gilda Roa, Movimiento Agrario y Popular (MAP), Paraguay: “Testimony of the consequences of RR soy expansion in Paraguay: rural conflicts, intoxications, and organised resistance”
- An Maeyens, ASEED Europe: “Socio-economic impacts of soy expansion in Paraguay – rural depopulation and human rights violations”, results of investigation carried out by BASEIS, Paraguay
- Rosa Binimelis, Plataforma Transgènics Fora!, Catalunya, Spain: "Co-existence proven impossible"
- Amaranta Herrero, Plataforma Transgénicos Fora!, Catalunya, Spain: “Who is liable? Cases of GM Maize contamination in Catalunya”
- Johan Diels, GAIA (Grupo Acção e Intervenção Ambiental), Portugal: “Algarve GMO Free: resistance against GM crops in Portugal”
- Conclusion: Establishing the link between the practice and biosafety policy (speaker to be confirmed)
Moderation: Nina Holland, Corporate Europe Observatory
Organisation: Corporate Europe Observatory
Language: English
Contact: nina[at]corporateeurope.org
