Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Demanding the End of the GMO Experiment

I could not find any threads about this matter, even though has been out there for quite a while. I hope this is the most suitable subforum on this matter.

Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

-The scientists are extremely concerned about the hazards of GMOs to biodiversity, food safety, human and animal health, and demand a moratorium on environmental releases in accordance with the precautionary principle.
-They are opposed to GM crops that will intensify corporate monopoly, exacerbate inequality and prevent the essential shift to sustainable agriculture that can provide food security and health around the world.
-They call for a ban on patents of life-forms and living processes which threaten food security, sanction biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources and violate basic human rights and dignity.
-They want more support on research and development of non-corporate, sustainable agriculture that can benefit family farmers all over the world.

We, the undersigned scientists, call for the immediate suspension of all environmental releases of GM crops and products, both commercially and in open field trials, for at least 5 years; for patents on living processes, organisms, seeds, cell lines and genes to be revoked and banned; and for a comprehensive public enquiry into the future of agriculture and food security for all.

Patents on life-forms and living processes should be banned because they threaten food security, sanction biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources, violate basic human rights and dignity, compromise healthcare, impede medical and scientific research and are against the welfare of animals.

GM crops offer no benefits to farmers or consumers. Instead, many problems have been identified, including yield drag, increased herbicide use, erratic performance, and poor economic returns to farmers. GM crops also intensify corporate monopoly on food, which is driving family farmers to destitution, and preventing the essential shift to sustainable agriculture that can guarantee food security and health around the world

The hazards of GMOs to biodiversity and human and animal health are now acknowledged by sources within the UK and US Governments. Particularly serious consequences are associated with the potential for horizontal gene transfer. These include the spread of antibiotic resistance marker genes that would render infectious diseases untreatable, the generation of new viruses and bacteria that cause diseases, and harmful mutations which may lead to cancer.

We urge the US Congress to reject GM crops as both hazardous and contrary to the interest of family farmers; and to support research and development of sustainable agricultural methods that can truly benefit family farmers all over the world.

We, the undersigned scientists, call for the immediate suspension of all environmental releases of GM crops and products, both commercially and in open field trials, for at least 5 years; for patents on living processes, organisms, seeds, cell lines and genes to be revoked and banned; and for a comprehensive public enquiry into the future of agriculture and food security for all.

www.i-sis.org.uk...

There are also 29 reasons listed to support their opinion. Over 800 scientists from 84 different countries have given the signature into this petition, including many scientists from respected universities around the world. This was drafted in 1999 already and has been shown to many governments and organisations, although it seems nobody has listened to the arguments brought up. Since then a total of over 800 scientists have given their signature in support of this. I believe this number would be much higher, although it is not well-known and the media has ignored it largely.

This whole topic makes me worried. I understand in the coming future there might be need for genetically modified foods, especially if there might be some climate change (natural or not, does not matter), although how it is done currently is simply wrong. Researching it is necessary, although it should not be used for profiteering and patenting different foods... especially when the long-term consequences are unknown. Nobody knows how it would affect the human health, the environment, the biodiversity in long-term, in decades, even centuries. There is no going back, as most of the changes are irreversible.

There is no urgency for using them currently. There are more than enough land for growing the foods for the world in the current conditions. This should be researched on far more and held as an option that would be used only in extreme situations and definetely not for-profit.

I sincerely hope sooner or later, this topic will gain far more awareness than currently. EU has been very cautious with those so far, luckily, and many countries have banned it, although that is an example the rest of the world should also follow. Better safe than sorry.

Are you aware of what ISIS is..?

reply to post by Cabin


hmmmmm...no GMO means less profit for the "needy".

I wonder what will they choose...decisions decisions....

reply to post by Nevertheless


It's a society that is part of a UK university ,who gets panned for its beliefs in alternative therapy as viable methods for keeping healthy .
Like anyone taking food out of the mouths of the greedy ,they must be ridiculed and have disinformation spread about them,as being non credible ,while a system that promotes cut burn and poison,while bilking the public ,is kept in place .

reply to post by Nevertheless


I did not do my research on isis. After searching a bit, I agree that they might not be the most credible organisation. yet the arguments on this particular matter are strong.

Also many of the scientists who have signed it are well-known, for example Jonathan King is part of the current MIT staff, also Ruth Hubbard from Harvard is well-known biologist.

I personally know 3 people from the list and that is where I heard about this They are well-known biologists locally and at least I personally trust their opinion on the matter.

And with the latest research emerging (the research that hasn't been bought out and swept under the rug by biotech corporations that is) of harmful biological effects on test animals' physiologies.

Rats fed on GMO feed developing liver problems, pigs fed on GMO feed developing ulcerated, inflamed and damged stomachs and this is just the start.

Of course it should be banned, and the sooner the better.

Profit should never come at the expense of human life and health, never.

And the potential for damage to the ecology and biodiversity is startling and frightening.

reply to post by Cabin

These GMO should be banned. I can't believe anyone with a scrap of humanity, at all, would allow this poison to our food systems, to stay in place. This just tells me the legislators, responsible for allowing this madness to persist, have allowed the bribes from these criminals to severely cloud their judgement, and at the risk of human lives too.

Good for these scientists for standing up to this horrible pollution of our food system.

Now... If we can just get them to to the same for Extraterrestrial life.

As for the other I think we need a balance between GMO and non GMO.

Afterall the dwarf wheat solved Indias food problem.