crsf president's report 2014

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Grace Chua, president of Consumer Rights for Safe Food (CRSF), gave a report to its members during the General Assembly last March 22, 2014. Sharing it with you.

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Page 1: CRSF President's Report 2014
Page 2: CRSF President's Report 2014

CONSUMER RIGHTS FOR SAFE FOOD

2013-2014

Page 3: CRSF President's Report 2014

The Fight Against Genetically Modified Organisms GMOs continues…

Targeting – Golden Rice

Page 4: CRSF President's Report 2014

Protest against a international biotech conference in Manila

Page 5: CRSF President's Report 2014

Press Conferences: The dangers of genetically modified organisms in food

Page 7: CRSF President's Report 2014

Green Sona - July 17, 2013

Page 8: CRSF President's Report 2014

Forum with Dr. Jack Heinemann on Golden Rice: Third World Network (TWN) in partnership with

Miriam College (ESI) and CRSF

Page 9: CRSF President's Report 2014
Page 10: CRSF President's Report 2014
Page 11: CRSF President's Report 2014

1. GMO- free restaurants2. Continuing orientations3. Partnering – UMAK, SugarLeaf4. Media Exposure5. Networking – NO2GMO6. Lobbying the GMO Labeling Bill

Page 12: CRSF President's Report 2014

FDA: GMOs food safe, requires no labeling (Dec 8, 2013)

“These are as safe as the usual crops in the market. The nutrition contents too are substantially equivalent compared to usual farmers’ produce, so why should GM food be labeled?” Oscar Gutierrez Jr., chairman of the FDA Policy Planning Office, was quoted in the statement as saying.

Packaged products containing GM crops like the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn and those that are not yet in the market, the Bt eggplant and the Vitamin A-rich Golden Rice, have no verifiable difference from any other conventional crops, adding that labeling is only mandatory if there are safety issues.

GMOs virtually has no difference from conventional food, is not cancer-causing, and has been proven safe for human health under numerous tests, the FDA statement said.

Page 13: CRSF President's Report 2014

FDA: GMO protein is destroyed or denatured by stomach acids.

• ACCORDING to the FDA, the difference between GM and non-GM crops is the presence of recombinant DNA. They add that in the process of cooking the GM crop, the protein is destroyed or denatured.

• “Once cooked, it’s no longer there. The food no longer carries the verifiable recombinant DNA. So what is there to label?” Gutierrez said.

• Bt corn, which contains the Bt protein, cannot harm humans because it will need an alkaline environment to be activated, and human guts are acidic, Antonio A. Alfonso said in an interview.

Page 14: CRSF President's Report 2014

Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. Aziz Aris and Samuel Leblanc 2011

Cry1Ab, a specific type of Bt toxin from GM crops, has been detected in human and fetal blood samples. In testing 69 women who were eating a typical Canadian diet, researchers found BT toxin in:

93% of blood samples of pregnant women80% of fetal blood samples69% of non-pregnant women blood samples

US FDA: BT Toxins does not survive human stomach acids!

Page 15: CRSF President's Report 2014

FDA: GMOs food safe, requires no labeling (Dec 8, 2013)

• In its Advisory 2013-014 on “Safety of GM Food Produced through Modern Biotechnology” dated June 24, 2013, the FDA stated that food-safety assessment of biotechnology products “is more rigorous,” compared to other conventionally bred crops.

• “For the GM food crops that have undergone food-safety assessment and approval process, the consensus of scientific opinion and evidence is that the application of GM technology introduces no unique food safety concerns and up to this time there is no single case of evidence of harm in man,” the FDA said.

Page 16: CRSF President's Report 2014

The Court of Appeals stopped the field testing of BT Talong because of the lack of biosafety protocols that

will protect the environment and the health of the people from its possible harmful effects.

Page 17: CRSF President's Report 2014

CRIIGEN Study Links GM Maize and Roundup to Premature Death and Cancer

http://sustainablepulse.com/2012/09/19/crigen-study-links-gm-maize-roundup-premature-death-cancer/

Page 18: CRSF President's Report 2014

Science as it should NOT be

Page 19: CRSF President's Report 2014

THE DANGERS OF GOLDEN RICE

-Efficacy and Safety not tested-Endangers our indigenous rice varieties-Teaches an expensive and unsustainable solution-Puts the supply of our staple in the hands of multi-

nationals-Destroys Philippine Culture-Endangers biodiversity of plants and insects-Chemical pollution- Tolerant insects and weeds

Page 20: CRSF President's Report 2014

www.standupforyourrice.org

Page 21: CRSF President's Report 2014

Petition against Golden RiceDr. Secretary Alcala,

I am writing as a concerned citizen who wishes to urge the Department of Agriculture to come to its senses with regard to the field trials and possible commercial approval of Golden Rice.

I believe that we do not need Golden Rice to address Vitamin A deficiency. There are already working solutions such as the distribution of Vitamin A capsules and fortification of foods that are already in place and has dramatically reduced the incidence of VAD in the Philippines. The real solution should be the promotion of a diverse diet and the promotion of varied sources of Vitamin A and other nutrients which can be achieved through ecological farming. These solutions should be the ones focused on by our government and where funding should go. GMOs such as Golden Rice is a distraction and a waste of valuable resources that expose Filipinos and our environment to the inherent risks of GMOs.

Behind the Golden Rice project are giant corporations that sell GMOs and employ the patent system to ensure control over these crops and deprive small-scale farmers of access, control and stewardship over plant genetic resources that they have nurtured, exchanged and shared across communities for generations. Once commercialized, Golden Rice can also contaminate the rich genetic pool of local, indigenous and traditional rice varieties.

Therefore I urge you to immediately stop the field trials, the planned feeding trials and eventual commercialization of Golden Rice.

Page 22: CRSF President's Report 2014

How can you help?1. Be a member of CRSF.2. Practice and spread our advocacy.3. Look for groups we can talk to.4. Keep track of CRSF activities and participate. 5. Sign Petition on Golden Rice6. Contribute time, talent and treasure.

Page 23: CRSF President's Report 2014