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══════════════════【立報】═══════════════════ |
| 教 育 專 題 深 入 報 導《2005-07-01》 |
| 本期內容 | |
| ◎ 從生物蹂躪到生物民主 | |
| ◎ 怎麼種更重要 英政府解禁基改作物 | |
| ◎ 讓在地人決定 歐洲民眾拒種基改作物 | |
| ◎ 取得經濟、風險平衡 開發中國家兩難 | |
| ◎ 台灣立報徵文啟事 | |
| 從生物蹂躪到生物民主 | |
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Reclaiming the Commons: from BioDevastation to BioDemocracy 原文 今年6月19日到22日，美國生物技術產業發展協會（Biotechnology Industry Organi-zation, 簡稱BIO）在費城舉辦一年一度的國際會議。這個會議是全世界生物科技與藥界高級官員最大型的集合，有來自56個國家18,730名代表參與，美國50州也都有代表參加，總共有9百場分別就健康保健、農業、工業以及環境等生物科技產品的企業發表會。 正當BIO在費城舉辦會議時，這座城市也聚集了許多來自民間的草根團體，以非基因改造食品、生物多樣性以及全球正義為訴求。生物民主／生物蹂躪，在6月18到21日舉辦反會議，由全國性的組織包括社會生態學院、東北反遺傳工程（Northeast Resistance Against Genetic Engineering，簡稱NE RAGE）、學生環境行動聯盟、教化民眾等團體組成。同時，費城當地的團體也參與反壓迫和地球解放活動，另有動物權運動份子的反對活體解剖會議舉辦，共同慶祝「食物不是炸彈」成立25週年。他們稱這場會議為「生物民主2005」（BioDemocracy 2005），這個組織以和平、永續、草根性的民主為其遠景。就如同在先前生物技術產業發展協會國際會議中所做的一樣，來自全國的運動份子聚集在「同胞愛之城」，將焦點關注在BIO會議中討論為營利所製造的藥物、遺傳工程農業、生化武器等非公開的議程。 「生物民主2005」以騎腳踏車的方式，透過群聚效應，於上週五開始抗議活動。隔天一個名為「教化民眾」的露天慶典活動，將有機蔬菜農夫、社區園丁、另類養生實踐者、藝術家、木偶、音樂家、家庭以及運動份子聚集一堂，一起分享相關知識、促銷產品以及技術等訊息。 （資料來源／獨立媒體） 摘要 From June 19 to June 22 in Philadelphia, USA, the Biotechnol-ogy Industry Organization (BIO) held its annual international con-vention. The convention was the world's largest gathering of biotech and pharmaceutical executives, as 18,730 representatives from 56 countries and all 50 U.S. states, gathered for 900 business presentations on health-care, agricul-tural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. Running opposite the BIO convention was a counter-convention called "BioDemocracy 2005", which consisted of a smorgasbord of activities aimed at challenging the biotech industry with an alterna-tive vision of peaceful, sustainable and grassroots democracy. As they have done at previous BIO con-ventions, activists from across the country converged on the "City of Brotherly Love" to bring attention to BIO's closed-door agenda of medicine for profit, genetically engineered agriculture and bioweapons proliferation. previous conventions: San Francisco, 2004 | St. Louis, 2003 I WTO/USDA Sacramento, 2003 I Washington, DC, 2003 BioDemocracy 2005 kicked off on Friday with a Critical Mass bike ride against Biotech. The following day, a "Reclaim the Commons" open-air Festival brought together organic farmers, community gar-deners, alternative health practi-tioners, artists, puppets, musicians, families, and activists to share knowledge, give-aways, and skills. Food Not Bombs, which was having a con-current international gathering in Philadelphia to celebrate its 25th anniversary, provided food at the festival as well as at other BioDemocracy events. |
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| （回目錄） | |
| 怎麼種更重要 英政府解禁基改作物 | |
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GM crops get all-clear 原文 英國專家日前對基改作物進行進一步研究發現，種植大多基改作物時，只要與其他正常作物維持一百公尺即可保持安全距離，同時，學者也認為基改作物的安全性已討論太久，事實上基改作物安全性不需要過於擔心，現在宜討論如何可靠地種植基改作物的問題。 不過學者也指出，這樣的言論必然會引起運動份子的討伐聲浪，並將這些基改作物污名化為「科學怪食品」。 生物科技與生物科學研究委員會（Biotech-nology and Biological Sciences Research Council）日前發表這項研究結果，這個研究是項5年計畫，贊助經費達450萬英鎊之多。這項計畫也同時砸下重金、致力於讓大眾相信基因改造食品的價值。 這項報告也研究基改作物會在怎樣的情況下污染附近的一般作物。結果發現基改作物的農田花粉可能傳播到幾公里之外，但是實際上政府只需要限制在一百公尺的距離即可。主持該項計劃的菲力‧戴爾教授表示：「某些品種的作物會將花粉傳播到數公里之外，但是這得依品重而定—其實對大多數作物而言，一百公尺的安全距離就綽綽有餘了。」 他也說：「我認為我們把太多注意力放在基改食品的負面作用與風險評估上，現在，我們應開始花更多心力在如何栽培基改作物，而非擔心我們是否該種植這些作物上。現在全球已有10億英畝的基改作物在種植，我們已經遠遠落後了。」（資料來源／www.agbios.com） 摘要 Government scientists have given the go-ahead to genetically modified crops. Britain should develop more of the controversial plants, the experts said. They warned that GM plants must be grown at least 100 metres away from normal crops but their recommendations are bound to provoke fury among campaigners against so-called Frankenstein foods. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Re-search Council based its recommendations on the results of a five-year, 4.5 million pound study into the safety of GM crops, released today. They also called for a massive effort to convince the public of the value of GM crops. The report, commissioned by ministers at the height of the storm over GM foods, investigated how the crops could contaminate normal crops nearby. It found that some could contaminate fields several kilometres away but scientists said the Government should press ahead with a safety limit of just 100 me-tres, despite the risk. Professor Phil Dale, who headed the report steer-ing group, said: "Some species will pollinate several kilometres away but it really depends on the crop - 100 metres seems to us to be a safe limit for many of them. "I think we have focused far too much on the negative effects of GM and the risk assessment. We need to start planning for exactly how we go about growing these crops effectively rather than worrying about if we should grow them." There were more than a billion acres of GM crops being grown inter-nationally. "We are falling behind," he said. The report would be forwarded to relevant de-partments to kickstart a government decision on the recommendations. |
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| （回目錄） | |
| 讓在地人決定 歐洲民眾拒種基改作物 | |
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Give Us The Right To Decide On GM Crops 原文 日前歐洲民眾請願，呼籲歐盟給予地方以及區域政府法定權利，可決定禁種基改作物。這場會議是由地球之友發起，於6月17日在蒙茅斯舉辦。 演講主題環繞威爾斯食物與農業的未來，演講者包括土壤協會的羅德‧梅爾徹特，卡地夫大學的凱文‧摩根教授等。這場會議被告知，基改作物是否應在歐洲國家種植，是由歐盟執委會決定，然而種植基改作物的社區卻無權參與決定。儘管歐盟農業執委會執行長認為馬利安‧費雪鮑爾認為，歐洲應該種基改作物，然而威爾斯議會以及英國其他60個地方政府已通過決議加以反對；其他歐洲162個地區以及4千5百個地方則已宣稱為非基改農區。 地球之友的高登‧詹姆斯說，歐盟法律相當衰弱，對於那些想要維持非基改農地的地區鮮少支持。他說：「一但基改作物透過歐盟申請程序通過，這些作物可以不經地方政府或社區的同意，不聽取地方意見，就種在你的社區內，這些將會對當地環境與經濟造成極大的衝擊。」 「這樣做讓人無法接受，特別是反對基改作物的聲浪這麼廣泛，實在應當回歸地方的民主與法定程序，讓在地人自己決定要不要基改作物。」他說。他還補充說，在生物科技公司對歐盟施壓下，歐盟已經通過新的基改食物進口。 同時，威爾斯農人聯盟也要求以更嚴格的措施，防止非法基改作物進入歐洲成為動物育飼料。 （資料來源／www.agbios.com） 摘要 A EUROPE-wide petition calling for regions and local authorities to have the legal right to ban the cultivation of GM crops in their area was launched by Friends of the Earth Cymru at a public meeting in Monmouth on Friday. AM Laura Anne Jones, who chaired the meeting, became the first Welsh politician to sign. Speakers at the meeting on The Future of Food and Farming in Wales included Lord Melchett of the Soil Association, Professor Kevin Morgan of Cardiff Uni-versity and Friends of the Earth Cymru director Julian Rosser. The meeting was told that decisions about whether GM crops should be grown in EU countries were made by the unelected European Commission, though the communities which would grow the crops had no right to be involved. While EU farm commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel believes GM crops should be grown in Europe, 60 UK local authorities and the Welsh Assembly have passed resolutions opposing them and 162 regions and 4,500 other areas in Europe have declared themselves GM-free. Gordon James of FoE Cymru said EU law was weak and offered little support for areas wanting to stay GM-free. 'Once a GM crop has been approved through the EU applications process, it can be grown in your area with-out the local authority or community being involved in the decision, even though there could be significant impacts on the local environment and economy,' he said. 'This is unacceptable, particularly as there is such widespread opposition to GM crops, and it is essential that local authorities and regional assemblies be given the democratic and legal right to decide whether or not GM crops can be grown in their area.' Mr James said biotechnology companies were push-ing to get GM into Europe, and pressure had already resulted in the EU approving imports of new GM foods. Meanwhile, the Farmers' Union of Wales called for tougher measures to prevent illegal GM crops entering Europe as animal feed, such as the arrival of more than 2,500 tonnes of illegal BT10 maize from the United States, labelled as a legal variety into County Louth last month. |
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| （回目錄） | |
| 取得經濟、風險平衡 開發中國家兩難 | |
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原文 聯合國貿易與發展會議（UNCTAD）的一項新研究顯示，發展中國家面臨種植基改作物之兩難。這項研究也提醒發展中國家在種植基改作物的經濟獲利與風險中取得平衡，別讓食物供給危害民眾。 UNCTAD的報告中透露，是否要種植基改作物對較貧窮的國家來說是個特別困難的決定。一方面，透過基因改造技術可以種植出更大更好的作物，改善農人的收益，紓解國內食物短缺，並讓新品質的產品生產更為容易。但是，研究也表示，發展中國家必須衡量其中利弊得失，以及潛在的風險。新科技可能使傳統農業瓦解，並造成環境與衛生問題。 另外一項隱憂則關乎國際貿易。UNCTAD的經濟學者與該項研究的作者西蒙內塔‧崔兒格表示，開發中國家通常高度依賴農業出口，因此會為符合國外市場的需求而改變國內生產的優先次序。「比如說，對將非常少的農產品出口到歐洲的非洲國家來說，他們主要的考慮在於維護歐洲市場的出口機會。」她說：「因此，由於歐盟對基因改造產品的不信任，亦使非洲國家因害怕喪失歐州市場，而對這些技術加以管制。」 研究也指出，許多非洲國家對進口基改產品課重稅也是考量到可能的貿易損失，這些國家包括了安哥拉、衣索比亞、賴索托、馬拉威、蘇丹、尚比亞以及辛巴威。另外甚至有非洲國家拒絕接受外援，就是因為外援物資中包括了基改食物，他們擔心會損及他們的形象，傷害到貿易出口機會。 她說，開發中國家夾在對基改食品安全立場迥異的歐盟與美國之間，而都試圖影響非洲國家。「美國認為基改作物可以解決非洲饑荒與糧食短缺的問題；歐盟卻認為饑荒與營養不良不是出在食物足夠與否的問題上，而是惡劣的運輸交通所造成。」 （資料來源／www.voanews.com） 摘要 Genetically Modified Crops Pose Dilemma for Devel-oping Countries A new study by the UN Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, highlights the dilemma for developing countries posed by genetically modified or-ganisms.The study urges developing countries to balance the potential benefits and risks from genetically modified crops so as not to endanger the food supply for their populations. The UNCTAD study reports genetically modified crops pose especially difficult choices for the world's poorer nations. On the one hand, it says farming based on genetically modified organisms may produce bigger and better crops, improve profits for farmers, ease domestic food shortages and facilitate the production of new quality products.But, the study says developing countries have to weigh these benefits against the potential risks.It says the new tech-nology could disrupt traditional agricultural practices, limit access to seeds, and pose unpredictable environ-mental and health problems. An additional worry is that international trade flows may be jeopardized. UNCTAD economist and author of the study, Si-monetta Zarrilli Traeger, says developing countries often depend heavily on agricultural exports and may bend their domestic priorities to meet the demands of their main trading partners. "For instance, for African countries which export very few agricultural products to the EU, a major considera-tion is to preserve the export opportunities to the EU market," she said."So, if they feel that by getting involved in bio-technology they can miss trading opportunities in the EU market, they will regulate their bio-safety and a-griculture domestically to respond to the expectations." The study says a number of African countries have im-posed import bans on genetically modified products mainly because of possible trade losses. These countries include Angola, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Ms. Traeger notes that some of these countries even have refused food aid containing genetically modified materials because they feel they will miss out on export opportunities by importing modified foods. She says developing countries are caught between an ongoing dispute between the European Union and the United States, which have completely different views re-garding the safety of genetically modified foods. She says both trading blocks are trying to impose their views on the poorer countries. "The United States, for instance, is insisting that ge-netically modified crops will contribute to solving the huge problem of starvation, especially in the developing countries," she explained."While the EU has the ap-proach that starvation and malnutrition are the result not of limited food availability, but are the result of poor transport, of concentration of food production, access. Ms. Traeger says developing countries are responsible for providing a reasonable amount of food and agricul-tural products for local populations. Therefore, she says their desire to preserve export markets in the rich countries has to be balanced with their need to have enough food for their own people. |
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| 台灣立報徵文啟事 | |
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