Press Release 14/05/09

GMOs: NO TO EXPERIMENTING ON CHILDREN! WHAT WILL THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS?

Press release by Mr. Guido Pollice, President of Verdi Ambiente e Società,
and Ms. Fabrizia Pratesi, coordinator of Comitato Scientifico Equivita   

After the statements made by Pope Benedict XVI before the Synod of African Bishops, very explicitly blaming GOMs and multinational corporations for impoverishing Developing Countries, we would have expected that the Pontifical Academy of Sciences to “reconsider” their organization of the study week on transgenic crops, scheduled to be held in Rome from the 14^th to the 19^th of May. 

And instead, far from it! What was envisaged to be a moment of (unilateral) focus on the development of agro-biotechnologies, is due to remain as planned: a marketing operation behind closed doors, carefully leaving out all research efforts aimed at scientific advancement as well as all ethical considerations.

They are also leaving out all the Organizations committed on a daily basis towards improving the living standards of the populations inhabiting the Southern sphere of the World, while they are instead planning to lavishly host the inventor of “Golden Rice”, Dr. Ingo Potrycus.

“Golden Rice” was launched on the market as a humanitarian means capable of combating the Vitamin A insufficiency that affects poor people around the World without first subjecting it to a preliminary safety assessment test and that was instead experimented on children in China and the United States, regardless of the numerous reports of the scientific community on its potential health hazards; all of which is in open violation of the Medical Code of Ethics, of the Nuremberg Code and of simple common sense.  

What stand will the Pontifical Academy of Sciences take vis-à-vis this ethical problem? Will someone decide to raise the issue or will they simply decide to keep silent in order to avoid disrupting the idyllic atmosphere of an uncontroversial study week with no open debate?

IN ORDER TO DELIVER PROPER INFORMATION TO CITIZENS AND MEDIA, A SIT-IN ORGANIZED BY VAS, EQUIVITA AND AMBIENTESCIENZE IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE IN ROME ON MONDAY MAY 18TH FROM 10.30 A.M. TO 1.30 P.M.

We hope you will join us in

ROMA, PIAZZALE FLAMINIO, near the entrance to Villa Borghese (Viale Washington).

For further information, please contact:

Press Office of VAS: +39  06/3608181 – +39 329/1328437

Press Office of Equivita: +39  063/220720 – +39  335/8444949 
 
 

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