The Mindanao Tri-People Women Forum (MTWF) DECLARATION AGAINST GENETICALLY ENGINEERED GOLDEN RICE Women by nature possessed special characteristics of nurturing the family, agriculture and environmental sustainability. History pronounced, went back 8,000 BC, that women were the first farmers. They did foretelling the weather before planting, collecting the seeds, preparing the land, planting and weeding and even up to food processing and preparation. Extreme changes ensued after the introduction of Green Revolution in 1960 up to the present, which enforced women to perform the household works. Although they participated in food production it remains unrecognized and invisible as physical strength is a major requirement in food production. The issues of Genetically Engineered/Modified (GE/GM) Seeds and Crops in food production are merely another faces of disasters to millions of Filipino farmers and consumers. The massive usage of Synthetic Fertilizers and Petro-Chemicals as introduced profit-oriented companies is a huge issue to farmers in terms of capital inputs, health risk, and acidity of soil and to the care of existing organisms in the ecosystem. There was no study released that showed the negative health effects of eating genetically modified organism (GMO) products, and its negative impact to soil fertility/ and environmental sustainability, nor a study which proved that producing GE/GM crops secure the human health and boost biodiversity. There has been a current global environmental movement that blatantly condemns the profit-driven initiatives of companies in producing food through synthetic fertilizers and petro-chemicals which contributes to environmental degradation. In the national level, counterparts of these companies are planning to introduce and produce GM/GE Golden Rice in the Philippines to address the issue of malnourishment particularly vitamin A deficiency (VAD). The Mindanao Tri-People Women Forum, an alliance of more than fifty grassroots tri-people women in different areas of Mindanao declared GM/GE seeds, crops and products as against our culture, humanity and food sovereignty. We call on the Department of Agriculture Secretary, Proceso J. Alcala, not to permit the production of Golden Rice in the country, for the following reasons: 1. No proven studies for health safety and environmental sustainability with regards to Golden Rice production and consumption; 2. It could infect the endangered traditional rice varieties of the farmers in the country; 3. It could destroy the “sulagad” (traditional) farming of the indigenous communities particularly in Mindanao where traditional farming is still practiced; 4. Household-based farmers would become more dependent to traders as it could require more synthetic fertilizers and petro-chemicals, thus would further put farmers to debt bondage with the traders; 5. There are simple, traditional and alternative means of solving malnourishment and vitamin A deficiency by practicing Organic Farming and household-based diversified farming where crops and livestocks available at any time for household needs. Over 50 years, it was proven that programs and project promoting GM/GE varieties failed to feed the hunger population in the country and in the whole world. Therefore, we strongly belief that only Sustainable and Ecological Agriculture using the indigenous seeds and organic farming technologies can! For Mindanao, as considered as the country’s “Food Basket”, there should be continuing and collective effort to protect and develop our resources and to ensure sustainable and ecologically-sound production of food for the people. Goldy Omelio Secretary General, MTWF Cotabato City Mindanao, Philippines
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 07:28:44 +0000
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