Appeal Approved by the Tokyo NGO Action Conference on GM Rice and the International Year of Rice

Appeal Approved by the Tokyo NGO Action Conference
on GM Rice and the International Year of Rice

We Oppose GM Rice!!
(GM: genetically modified, or genetically engineered)


Rice is an important staple food for us Asian peoples.

According to the concept of the International Year of Rice, the United Nations has proclaimed that "rice is life" itself, and various events have taken place with the objectives of attaining sustainable production of rice and the expansion of consumption of rice. However, the World Rice Research Conference Tokyo Symposium sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and supported by the International Rice Research Institute and others, has as its main objectives the sequencing of the rice genome and the development of GM rice varieties.

We, the citizens of Asia, resolutely oppose GM rice. GM rice will drive out traditional rice varieties that peoples of all Asian regions have developed and improved over the centuries, and compulsorily replace them with GM rice varieties that have been developed by the governments of advanced countries or by multinational corporations.

We oppose GM rice for the following three reasons:

• Domination of the world seed and food supply by multinational corporations will be enhanced, depriving farmers of the right to grow rice as they wish, and leading to the fear of increased world starvation.
• The safety of GM rice has not been confirmed, and this will amplify the anxieties of food consumers.
• GM rice will contribute to genetic pollution and the destruction of the ecosystem.

The Asian producers and consumers participating in the NGO Action Tokyo gathering pledge to act in solidarity to oppose the development and commercialization of GM rice.

4 November 2004

Steering Committee of the NGO Action for the International Year of Rice
Pesticide Action Network Asia-Pacific (PAN AP) Save Our Rice Campaign

Contact: NO! GM Food Campaign
TEL: 03 5155 4756, FAX: 03 5155 4767

[ November 18, 2004 | NGO's_infomation ]