of the Coalition "Bulgaria - GMO Free Zone"

The goal of the coalition is to make Bulgaria free from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). This will:

• prevent Bulgarians from eating GE foods that are not proved to be safe and that have potential harmful health effects;
• preserve our export markets (can increase exports to countries demanding GE-free products);
• prevent costly: segregation, testing, cleaning of equipment/storage containers etc; identity preservation tracking systems etc;
• prevent biotechnology corporations from suing Bulgarian farmers when their crops get contaminated with proprietary patented genes;
• preserve our biodiversity;
• prevent western corporations from controlling our seeds, farmers and agriculture.

Problems with Genetic Engineering:

• GE foods are NOT proved to be safe to humans, or to environment. They are risky foods. People in the US have gotten allergic reactions to GE Starlink Corn;
• Alternatives to GE agriculture exist that are safe and tested (organic, sustainable, biodynamic, crop rotation, composting etc...);
• GE is NOT like traditional plant breeding; it can only be created in the laboratory;
• GE corn production in the US has caused the loss of a $300million dollar a year corn export market for US farmers;
• rBGH milk (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone - genetically engineered) increases the levels of the IGF-1 protein in the milk; this protein is linked to breast and prostate cancers;
• Herbicide resistant crops (Roundup Ready, etc...) have increased the amount of herbicides being sprayed and increased the levels of residual herbicide on our food. The EPA allowed an increase from 6 parts per million to 20ppm of residual Roundup when US farmers started growing RR crops (Monsanto applied for the increase and it was granted);
• GE crops WILL contaminate non-GE and organic crops;
• The biotech corporations WILL sue farmers whose land/crops get contaminated with GE crops/pollen/seeds etc. In the US and Canada, Monsanto has already sued 475 farmers - GE crops are designed to increase the incomes (and control) of the corporations - not the farmers;
• Farmers who grow GE lose the right to save their seeds, have to pay more for the GE seeds and have to pay a Technology Use Fee (intellectual property rights). This fee in the US for Monsanto GE corn was $15/acre last year (2003).

Initiators of the Coalition:
/Coalition is open to any organization, institution or person who want to join us/.

Association Agrolink, Sofia
Environmental Association Za Zemiata /For the Earth/, Sofia
Center for Environmental Law, Sofia
National Movement "Ecoglasnost", Sofia
Center for Environmental Information and Education, Sofia
Green Party, Sofia
PhD D-r Didi Baev, State University of New York, USA
PhD D-r Еva Cherneva, Center for Transgenetical Technologies of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Environmental Association Tetida, Blagoevgrad

19.03.2004
Sofia