Originally published October 3 2005
Genetically modified foods are an issue in Geneva
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Meeting over five days, the Codex taskforce for foods derived from modern biotechnology focused its discussion, much to the disappointment of India and Norway, on trade and the nutrition of genetically modified foods, almost bypassing ethical and ecological concerns altogether.
Negotiations on agriculture at Geneva did not make any progress.
But apparently trade issues relating to genetically modified (GM) foods figured in the meeting of Codex taskforce in Makuhari, Chiba in Japan last week.
India and Norway were in the forefront in demanding a discussion on these aspects when the issue of transgenic animals and fish came up.
Codex is an inter-governmental body and has the responsibility in setting acceptable standards for food, which are often referred to as the base.
Global trade is generally affected not due to the standards set by Codex but due to the stringent sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) norms of the developed countries.
In a way the easier Codex standards do not prove to be of much help in resolving disputes relating to SPS norms on food.
Codex Alimentarius Commission is an inter-governmental body jointly launched by UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Health Organisation (WHO).
Public concerns about health and environmental safety of GM food and related ethical issues need to be effectively addressed on priority to resolve trade-related issues.
A draft on transgenic animals prepared by Australia and other countries deliberately ignored the ethical aspects.
The representatives from FAO and WHO then admitted, "Ethics are indeed important."
But they preferred to deffer discussions till the next meeting of the taskforce scheduled on November 27 to December 1, 2006.
It was also proposed that FAO would conduct a workshop on ethical issues relating to GMOs and GM food a day before the taskforce meets.
Why does not Codex suggest promotion of the traditional foods with high nutrition content?
The incident of Starlink Corn slipping into the food chain five years ago and recent cases of BT 10 corn causing major problems also figured.
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