GENETIX ALERT NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeffrey Tufenkian 619-584-6462 or
local contact: David Barbarash 604-805-5479
Date: November 19, 1999
An underground group opposed to genetic engineering (GE) destroyed several hundred genetically engineered (GE) fruit trees at Okanagan Biotechnology, Inc. in Summerland, B.C., Canada on Wednesday night according to a communique released today.
The group calls itself the "WTO Welcome Committee" because they "wanted to communicate clearly the future of ag-biotech in our country to the upcoming World Trade organization meeting in Seattle," according to the communique. "Some say that a tree should be judged by its fruit, and in that case, genetic engineering should be cut down by the root," said spokesperson Michael Moore.
This action is the seventeenth known nonviolent destruction of GE crops or other property in North America this year and the third known attack in Canada. Details of past anti-GE actions are available at http://www.tao.ca/~ban/ar.htm. This action follows on the heels of a recently-released World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report highlighting the dangers of GE super-trees which can cross pollinate with native trees over a distance of 400 miles and which are being grown in field trials without knowledge of the consequences.
GenetiX Alert is an independent news center which works with other above-ground, anti-genetic engineering organizations. GA has no knowledge of the person(s) who carryout any underground actions. GA does not advocate illegal acts, but seeks to explain why people destroy genetically engineered crops and undertake other nonviolent actions aimed at resisting genetic engineering and increasing the difficulty for entities which seek to advance genetic engineering or its products. GA spokespeople are available for media interviews.
Reporters and other interested parties may contact GenetiX Alert at:
phone: 619-584-6462, fax: 619-528-1449
PO Box 3992, San Diego, CA 92163,
USA
email: jeffrey@towardsfreedom.com contact: Jeffrey Tufenkian
(communique follows immediately below)
Communique-Nov. 18, 1999:
WTO Welcome Committee Decontaminates Frankenfruit trees in BC, Canada An ad hoc committee of anti-biotech gardeners made a special visit to Okanagan Biotechnology Inc. (OBI) last night, and left a rather unusual calling card: several hundred genetically modified (GM) fruit trees lopped and removed from the food chain.
We call ourselves the WTO Welcome Committee because as concerned Canadians, we wanted to communicate clearly the future of ag-biotech in our country to the upcoming World Trade organization meeting in Seattle. This WTO round may have a significant impact on the industry's global trade opportunities, so it was important to express our views in a direct fashion before the negotiations began.
Canada is a particularly egregious country when it comes to promoting biotechnology on the global scale. Approximately 5% of our own domestic agricultural acreage are now under transgenic production. Some say that a tree should be judged by its fruit, and in that case, genetic engineering should be cut down by the root, said spokesperson Michael Moore. A special nighttime visit was fitting, as OBI is a special company: the first to provide transgenic products to the tree fruit industry. Its mission statement says it all: "To develop safe, high quality transgenic plant and tree fruit varieties and relevant enabling technologies. . . for use worldwide in the next century."
The OBI headquarters are hidden inside the Carter family orchard in the lovely Okanagan Valley of the British Columbia interior. The company's President, Neal Carter, states that, "We are in the advanced stage of discussions with companies in North America, Europe, New Zealand and Chile. We are looking for partners who have a real presence in every major tree-fruit production area in the world."
The mad scientists at work on these frankenfruits own the world rights to manipulate the trees genetic code by silencing the "browning" gene (Polphenol Oxidase or PPO) that causes the flesh and skin of apples and other tree fruits to quickly turn brown when cut. By what right can corporations own a gene, much less by or sell the rights to them? Besides, all sensible food connoisseurs know that to avoid browning all one needs to do is to lightly brush the apple edges with lemon juice and then cover. This action follows on the heels of a recently-released World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report highlighting the dangers of GM super-trees which can cross pollinate with native trees over a distance of 400 miles and which are being grown in field trials without knowledge of the consequences. The WWF identifies 116 trials on GM trees, which have taken place since 1988 without proper controls or research into the effects on the wider environment. Species include fruit trees such as apple, peach, pear, and plum, all of which OBI is researching in a collaborative project with Canada's federal Agriculture and Agri-Food agency. Dr. David Lane, the head scientist for the joint effort (the royalties will be shared between OBI and the government), also developed transgenic canola crops resistant to herbicide, which have become widespread and are contained in foodstuffs produced across North America.
Note to people who eat fruit (or to consumers, as the industry sees you): OBI is banking on the belief that an apple which can be cored, peeled, and sliced without turning brown, or one that can withstand longer storage and transportation without bruising, will be a major consumption trigger. If you don't think its worth the risk, feel free to take direct action or contact OBI (think security) at: site location-2033 Loomer Road; mailing address-PO Box 1533, 1, Summerland, B.C., Canada, V0H-1Z0; Telephone 1-250-494-1099; Fax 1-250-494-0338; http://www.okanaganbiotechnology.com.
Note to anti-biotech activists abroad: we could use help following OBI's global plans as well as developments in GM trees. Please do what you can to research the industry in your respective countries and publish the information broadly. Perhaps a GM Tree Info Project should be set up? Note to ag-biotech investors and venture capitalists: is this really the industry you want to invest in?
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