Quick Reads

A ONU Mantém a Moratória sobre a Tecnologia das Sementes Terminator

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Campanha Terminar Terminator

Movimentos de Agricultores, de Povos Indígenas e de Organizações da Sociedade Civil ao Redor do Mundo Exigem Banimento

É oficial. Os governos na Convenção de Diversidade Biológica das Nações Unidas (CDB), de forma unânime, mantiveram a moratória internacional de facto sobre a tecnologia Terminator - plantas que são geneticamente engenheiradas para produzirem sementes estéreis na colheita. A 8ª reunião da CDB foi encerrada hoje, em Curitiba, Brasil.

UN upholds Moratorium on Terminator Seed Technology

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Worldwide Movement of Farmers, Indigenous Peoples and Civil Society Organizations Calls for Ban

It's official. Governments at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have unanimously upheld the international de facto moratorium on Terminator technology - plants that are genetically engineered to produce sterile seeds at harvest. The 8th meeting of the CBD ended today in Curitiba, Brazil.

"The CBD has soundly rejected the efforts of Canada, Australia and New Zealand - supported by the US government and the biotechnology industry - to undermine the moratorium on suicide seeds," said Maria Jose Guazzelli of Centro Ecologico, a Brazil-based agro-ecological organization.

"By consensus decision, all governments have re-affirmed the moratorium on a genetic engineering technology that threatens the lives and livelihoods of 1.4 billion people who depend on farmer-saved seed," said Pat Mooney, Executive Director of ETC Group.

Y los ganadores son... Premios Capitán Garfio a la Biopiratería

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Los ganadores de los Premios Capitán Garfio a la Biopiratería otorgados en Curitiba son un grupo ecléctico que incluye algunos muy conocidos y a otros que dieron la sorpresa, y especialmente fueron reconocidos por su resistencia grupos que defienden las semillas y se oponen a las amenazas a la seguridad alimentaria.

Se le cayó el sistema a Google el viernes pasado, cuando le dieron su premio Capitán Garfio en la Octava Conferencia de las Partes (COP) del Convenio sobre Diversidad Biológica (CDB). No, no piensen que el servicio de internet se interrumpió en el Expotrade donde la reunión del CDB se lleva a cabo hasta el 31 de marzo. Significa que Google obtuvo un premio inesperado. En total, se entregaron 11 premios en diez categorías relacionadas con la biopiratería y siete premios Cog en seis categorías para aquellos que se oponen a la biopiratería y por su cuidado a toda costa de la biodiversidad del planeta.

Terminator Rejected! A victory for the people

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A broad coalition of peasant farmers, Indigenous Peoples and civil society today (24.03.2006) celebrated the firm rejection of efforts to undermine the global moratorium on Terminator technologies - genetically engineered sterile seeds - at the meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Curitiba, Brazil.

"This is a momentous day for the 1.4 billion poor people worldwide, who depend on farmer saved seeds," said Francisca Rodriguez of Via Campesina a global movement of peasant farmers. "Terminator seeds are a weapon of mass destruction and an assault on our food sovereignty."

"Terminator directly threatens our life, our culture and our identity as Indigenous Peoples," said Viviana Figueroa of the Ocumazo indigenous community in Argentina, on behalf of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity.

"Today's decision is a huge step forward for the Brazilian Campaign against GMOs," said Maria Rita Reis from the Brazilian Forum of Social Movements and NGOs. "This reaffirms Brazil's existing ban on Terminator. It sends a clear message to the national government and congress that the world supports a ban on Terminator."

Terminator rechazado! - Una victoria de la gente

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Una amplia coalición de agricultores, campesinos, pueblos indígenas y organizaciones de la sociedad civil celebran hoy (24.03.006) que los esfuerzos para minar la moratoria global sobre las tecnologías Terminator -semillas diseñadas genéticamente para ser estériles- hayan sido firmemente rechazados en la reunión del Convenio sobre Diversidad Biológica de la ONU en Curitiba, Brasil.

"Este es un gran momento para los 1 400 millones de campesinos pobres en el mundo que dependen de las semillas de la cosecha", dijo Francisca Rodríguez de Vía Campesina, un movimiento mundial de campesinos. "Las semillas Terminator son un arma de destrucción masiva y un asalto a la soberanía alimentaria. Terminator amenaza directamente nuestra vida, nuestra cultura y nuestra identidad como pueblos indígenas", afirmó Viviana Figueroa de la comunidad indígena de Ocumazo en Argentina, en representación del Foro Indígena sobre Biodiversidad

And the Winners Are...Captain Hook and Cog Awards announced in Curitiba

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The winners of the Captain Hook Awards for Biopiracyare an eclectic group that includes old favorites and new up-and-comers; Community-based biodiversity efforts win Cog Awards for defending food sovereignty

Google "Crashed" today (March 2006) at the Captain Hook Awards ceremony during the meeting of the Eighth Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). No, this doesn't mean that Internet service was interrupted in Curitiba's ExpoTrade Convention and Exhibition Centre where the CBD meeting is being held through March 31. It means that Google walked away with an unexpected big win - just as the movie "Crash" did a few weeks ago at Hollywood's Academy Awards. In all, eleven Captain Hooks received prizes in ten categories related to biopiracy. There were seven Cog Award winners in six categories related to biopiracy resistance and community-based biodiversity strengthening.

Ban Terminator Campaign -- Terminator Seed Battle Begins

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Farmers Face Billions of Dollars in Potential Costs

Curitiba, Brazil. After a week that has seen a worldwide mobilisation against Terminator technology, the issue of Suicide Seeds is about to hit the negotiating floor of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting in Curitiba, Brazil (March 2006). Known to the CBD as GURTs (Genetic Use Restriction Technologies), Terminator crops are genetically modified to create sterile seeds at harvest so that farmers must buy new seed every season. Today (22.03.2006) the Ban Terminator Campaign, a global coalition of over 500 organisations, released new financial calculations indicating that Terminator seeds will impose a burden of billions of extra dollars in seed costs on some of the world's poorest nations.

Monsanto Apologizes

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A 21 February 2006 news release from the Ban Terminator Campaign reported on Monsanto's revised pledge on Terminator. Whereas the company made a public commitment in 1999 not to use Terminator technology, its new pledge suggests that it would use Terminator seeds in non-food crops and does not rule out other uses in the future. Now Monsanto's Director of Public Policy has written an apology to the Ban Terminator Campaign and concedes that it didn't really mean it would consider using Terminator in non-food crops.

Monsanto May Commercialize Terminator

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Biotech Giant Revises Pledge on Sterile Seed Technology as Global Alliance Calls for a Ban

Monsanto, the world's largest seed and agbiotech company, made a public promise in 1999 not to commercialize 'Terminator Technology' - plants that are genetically engineered to produce sterile seeds. Now (February 2006) Monsanto says it may develop or use the so-called 'suicide seeds' after all. The revised pledge from Monsanto now suggests that it would use Terminator seeds in non-food crops and does not rule out other uses of Terminator in the future. Monsanto's modified stance comes to light as the biotech and seed industry confront peasant and farmer movements, Indigenous peoples and their allies in an escalating battle at the United Nations over the future of Terminator.

Prácticamente anulada, la moratoria sobre Terminator

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Camino libre para su aprobación en la ONU. Los opositores a las semillas suicidas se preparan para la batalla en la COP 8 en Curitiba, Brasil.

Los pueblos indígenas fueron traicionados y se hizo trampa a los derechos de los agricultores en la reunión de Naciones Unidas las últimas dos semanas, cuando los gobiernos de Australia, Nueva Zelanda y Canadá -siguiendo indicaciones de Estados Unidos y de una docena de Gigantes Genéticos corporativos- dieron un paso muy importante para terminar con la actual moratoria sobre la tecnología Terminator (plantas modificadas genéticamente para producir semillas estériles). Las nocivas recomendaciones que resultaron de la reunión de Granada, España, irán a la 8ava reunión bianual del Convenio de Diversidad Biológica (CDB) de la ONU en Curitiba, Brasil, del 20 al 31 de marzo de 2006.

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