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  • From: Alliums <garlicgrower AT earthlink.net>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org, seedsaving AT yahoogroups.co.uk, nefood-l AT listproc.tufts.edu
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  • Subject: [Market-farming] Food Security in Cyprus
  • Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 15:16:44 -0500

Hi, Folks!

A seed-saving colleague of mine is very involved in saving heirlooms in Cyprus.  Interesting how this small country is holding conferences to consider the ethics of GMOs while the whole issue is ignored in the US.

Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden

A mission of
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA  19460

FOOD SECURITY FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE
NEWS RELEASE
 
6th Pan-Cyprian conference on biomedical ethics and the deontology, started on Saturday, 24 January, and was organized by The Union of Orthodox Scientists in Limassol to broach a topic of Genetically Modified Produce (Genetika Tropoppiymena Proionta).
 
Two days (24-25 January) Cypriot and Greek scientists were discussing moral and ethical issues concerning Genetic Engineering (GE) and potential and real negative effects of GMO on the environment and human health.
 
Food Security for the Present and Future had also participated in the conference, because we believe that use of GMO in agriculture may further exacerbate the problems of conventional agriculture and by promoting monocultures might undermine sustainable farming.
 
Ilya Loisha, the Director of FSPF, made a speech on the subject of GMO and controversial agribusiness, which is reported below.
 
 
Ilya Loisha
Director of Food Security for the Present and Future.
 
Kalispera sas, then milo poli kala Elinika, ke namesihoresete, pou tha miliso Anglika.
 
I am Ilya Loisha, the Director of Food Security for the Present and Future. I have studied soil science and biology in the State University of Tomsk in the heart of Siberia.
 
Genetic engineering develops single-gene solutions, but the problems that they try to heal with GM derive from ecologically unstable monoculture systems. So, our organization looks at a wider picture, we oppose industrial food production as a whole.
 
Food Security for the Present and Future (FSPF) or Demetra is an international group of scholars in genetics, agriculture and biology, officials and politicians as well as naturalists and food researchers, which are sharing the same ideas on Food Security issues and promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable systems of sustainable food production.
 
Demetra is fighting for the food security in all its forms and denominations including sustainable food produce and low pressure on the environment; and with the use of such methods that preserve people's cultural heritage related to food's manufacture and consumption.
 
Demetra is against controversial agribusiness, which in its narrow-minded pursuit of increased production is threatening the world's food security and jeopardizing environmental safety and people's health by wide promotion and distribution of unhealthy and dangerous goods, methods and ideas.
 
The situation can only be saved by the society as a whole. The first step is to inform and convince people on the manifold dangers of the conventional agriculture and to show the way out of this impasse.
 
Various environmental groups and other organizations already provide educational programs on the subject but more are needed. To be more successful, such programs shall be designed for a broader public, and be educative, informative and entertaining, all at the same time. They must teach that achieving a sustainable agricultural system is a societal not just an agricultural responsibility.
 
Everyone, especially young generations, has to be aware of these issues!
 
In order to promote FSPF's ideas effectively we shall produce an artistically attractive and highly communicatory efficient multi-media Food Security show. Every year this traveling show will be converting about half a million people to true believers of healthy food and safe environment. The show shall be launched in Cyprus in 2005 and then will travel all around EU countries. We plan it to be a real bomb against controversial agribusiness and we hope that it will be able not only educate children and adults, but will also influence decision makers and will help to change the international political climate on the subject.
 
We hope to see all of you amongst friends of healthy food and safe environment!
 
Thank you.

 
F


  • [Market-farming] Food Security in Cyprus, Alliums, 01/30/2004

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