Studie "The GMO-emperor has no clothes" (engl.) - Nabu

as their democratic right to information and
choice. However, consumer rights were defined
by the US trade representative as “arbitrary,
politicized and scientifically unjustified” rules.
The insistence of consumers to pursue “nonscience
based restrictions” would lead to a “trade
war of major dimensions.”
In a letter to the US Secretary on June 12th,
1997, US agribusiness corporations stated
the segregation of crops for labeling is both
scientifically unjustified and commercially
unfeasible.
According to US industry, labeling of foods
violates the WTO agreement on free trade.
The Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary measures in
WTO are thus viewed by industry as protecting
their interests. But the right to information is
about democracy and democratic rights cannot
be sanctioned by arbitrary technocratic and
corporate decision making about what is ‘sound
science’ and what is not.
The denial of labelling is one dimension of
totalitarian structures associated with the
introduction of genetical engineering in food
and agriculture. Navdanya filed a case in India
demanding labeling of GM foods but the direct
intervention by the US embassy prevented
the labeling law from being introduced by the
Indian Health Ministry.
On July 5, 2011 Codex Alimentarius, the
international food safety body, recognized the
right of countries to label GMO foods. This
ended twenty years of an international struggle.
As the Consumer International states: “The
new Codex agreement means that any country
wishing to adopt GM food labeling will no
longer face the threat of a legal challenge from
the World Trade Organization (WTO). This
is because national measures based on Codex
guidance or standards cannot be challenged as a
barrier to trade.”(http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/
2011/07/05/codex-alimentarius-adopts-labeling-ofgenetically-modified-foods/).
We now need to build on this right-to–know
principle and ensure GMO labeling in all
countries.
GMOs are an Issue of Food
Democracy
This is why GE crops are an issue for
democracy. Food democracy is everyone’s right
and responsibility. We have food democracy
when we can exercise our choice to have
GMO free seed and food. This choice is being
undermined as seed is genetically engineered
and patented, as food systems are increasingly
controlled by giant corporations, as chemical
pollution and genetic pollution spread
uncontrolled, making our food unsafe. Each
of us must defend our food freedom and urge
our governments to protect the rights of their
citizens and stop supporting corporate takeover
of our seeds and foods. Each of us is vital in
creating food democracy. We invite you to join
us to defend the most fundamental freedom: our
food freedom.
* Vandana Shiva, distinguished Indian physicist
environmentalist, and campaigner for sustainabilitiy
and social justice. Director/Founder of The Research
Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology
(RFSTE) and Director/Founder of Navdanya. She
is the author of numerous books and the recipient of
a number of awards, including the Right Livelihood
Award and most recently the Sydney Peace Prize.
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