Mercy Global Concern - 2006

Mercy Global Concern: Report 1, March 2006

African NGOs say ‘No’ to terminator technology

27 February (e-CIVICUS) - A group of African NGOs has appealed to the United Kingdom to oppose any moves to erode the global moratorium of Terminator technology agreed under the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in 2000 and to move towards an outright ban of this controversial GM technology. Terminator technology is a form of genetic modification that makes harvested seeds sterile and was designed by the biotech industry to prevent farmers from saving their seed, forcing them to buy new seed each season.

Next month in Brazil delegates at the Convention of Parties of the CBD will face a concerted effort by Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, to weaken the global moratorium on Terminator technology by allowing a ‘case by case’ assessment. The African NGOs argue that ‘enforced seed sterility in our seed would dramatically affect farming and rural livelihoods across Africa’. For more information, visit

www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/african_ngos_tell_minister_17022006.html