Greenpeace will be attending the forthcoming conference organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD on the health aspects of genetically modified (GM) food, which is taking place in Edinburgh from 28 Feb - 1 March.
Greenpeace International representative Benny Haerlin 1 will be on a panel with Professor Gordon Conway of the Rockerfeller Foundation on the Monday of the conference. Doug Parr, Greenpeace UK's Chief Scientific Advisor will also be attending the conference as a delegate.
Greenpeace has concerns about potential bias at the conference towards pro-GM scientists and organisations.
Doug Parr, Chief Scientific Officer for Greenpeace said, "Greenpeace are concerned that this may turn out to be an industry bash with a hidden agenda of trying to 'spin' the image of GM foods, while overlooking the crucial issues,"
He continued, "The conference's narrow focus on the science of food safety will ignore fundamental issues about genetic modification, such as the unknown impacts of releasing GM organisms into the environment. We are participating in order to ensure that the hugely important environmental case against GM is heard by OECD governments,"
" The fact is that the GM issue is not just one of food safety. It is about how human beings treat the natural environment. GM technology in agriculture is unique in that it creates living pollution that is not possible to control, whose effects are inherently unpredictable and irreversible once released into the open environment."
"There is widespread public rejection of this technology, based on these real and reasonable concerns. The Government need to be looking at those concerns and adopting the precautionary principle, not ignoring their citizens".
Notes to editors:
1 - International Co-ordinator Greenpeace Genetic Engineering Campaign.
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on: 020 7865 8255
