Farmers and scientists unite to decry increased entry of GMOs!

Launches book against IRRI

News Release, November 7 2007

At a press conference at Quezon City, the militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) decried the increased entry of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) like the LL601, LL Rice 62 and the Uncle Sam Texas Long Grain Rice, in the country and the depletion of our traditional rice varieties. The groups also presented thousands of signatures of people aiming to protect rice culture.

According to Danilo 'Ka Daning' Ramos, concurrent secretary general of KMP and APC, 'this is the sorry state of our rice industry now and it is all because of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), an institution which is mainly to blame for the deterioration of our country’s rice culture,'

'Farmers have long been protecting and preserving rice culture from genetically engineered (GE) rice but IRRI has almost destroyed all of this. Now we are launching this book IRRI Resource Kit titled 'Angry at IRRI' to help us save of what is left and be a useful tool in our education and advocacy work in defending our rice culture,' said Ramos.

Meanwhile Jun Layosa, coordinator of the Brotherhood of IRRI Workers Support Services Group (BISSIG) said 'IRRI did not only facilitate the influx of genetically modified organisms in the country, they also made some themselves and in the process we were evicted from our land and many of our friends and loved ones became sick and some of whom have already died. IRRI did not only take our land, they also took our health and our lives.'

'We hope that by this book the awareness of more people will be heightened against the dangers that IRRI poses against us and how we can combat it. We hope that people will use this book as a guide in guarding against threats to our rice culture and the health of the nation,' ended Layosa.