"Tigaon is not and should not be a laboratory and his people are definitely not guinea pigs. His move to open up his town to Monsanto and Pioneer's field testing activities is like offering his people as human sacrifices. Decisions made out of ignorance, confusion and hasty conclusions often, if not always, turn out to be big and noxious mistakes in the end," KMP National Chairperson Rafael Mariano said. Mariano also criticized Bombase for his hasty conclusion that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are harmless after he found no sign of dead or mutated organisms on the Monsanto trial farm he visited. Citing a case in Mexico, Mariano added, "The effects of GE crops on the health and the environment requires in depth scientific research and laboratory procedures and not from a mere ocular inspection."

On September 19, 2001, the first ever proven case of transgenic contamination was revealed. Mexico's Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources confirmed that GE materials have contaminated native corn varieties in Mexico. Fifteen (15) communities out of the 22 that the government has tested proved positive for contamination by transgenics.

Meanwhile in the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to ignore the concerns of researchers at Cornell University, Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota on possible harmful and long-term impacts of Bt corn on monarch butterflies.

Peasants have been up in arms against agrochemical transnational corporations (TNCs) like Monsanto after it started out its Bt corn field trials in major provinces in the country. Bt corn varieties are made by agrochem TNCs such Monsanto, Pioneer/DuPont, Dow and Syngenta. Despite claims by US agrochemical giants that their export revenue sales fell by 1.3% in 2000, there was an undeniable 4.3% rise in US revenues for 24 major agrochem corporations with total sales amounting to $7.9B in 2000. "The farmers are outraged by how greed-driven these agrochem transnational corporations are. The monopoly of these agrochem giants over seeds, pesticides, and other agricultural products are driving us further into poverty, hunger and exploitation. While their crops are hooked on expensive chemicals, farmers will be forced into addiction to credit - at the expense of their freedom and the survival of their families," Mariano reiterated.

The KMP, together with the Resistance and Solidarity Against Agrochemical TNCs (RESIST! Agrochem TNCs) vowed to step up protests against Bt corn field testing and agrochem TNCs. The KMP and RESIST! announced their plan to launch a giant protest on April 4 as the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) celebrates its 42nd anniversary. ###
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Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)
Peasant Movement of the Philippines
URL: http://www.geocities.com/kmp_ph
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