[ba-unrev-talk] Starving nation rejects bio-tech crops
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23728-2002Jul30.html (01)
"Thousands of tons of U.S. emergency food aid destined for crisis-stricken
Zimbabwe has been diverted to other countries, and a new shipload may be
diverted within days, because the donations include genetically modified
corn that the Zimbabwean government does not want to accept.
The image of a nation on the brink of starvation turning down food because
it has been genetically engineered has reignited a long-smoldering
scientific and political controversy over the risks and benefits of
gene-altered food." (02)
"The Zimbabwean government, which for decades has supported the development
of corn varieties suited to local ecosystems, is concerned not only about
genetic contamination, but also about intellectual property issues. Pending
changes in international trade rules, backed by the United States, could
preclude farmers from saving the patented seeds from biotech harvests for
replanting in following years, a practice vital to many subsistence farmers
who cannot afford to buy new seed every year.
"If these crops get in, then farmers basically lose their rights to their
own agricultural resources," said Carole Collins, senior policy analyst for
the Washington-based Africa Faith and Justice Network." (03)