wfn.org | United Church Calls for Canadian Moratorium on Genetically

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

News Release	
Wednesday, June 1, 2005

UNITED CHURCH CALLS FOR MORATORIUM ON NEW GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

Toronto: "Our concern with genetically modified foods is not what we
know about their safety, but rather what we don't know," says Mark
Hathaway, The United Church of Canada's program officer for
Biotechnology and Food Security.

Hathaway explains that this uncertainty has led the United Church to
call on the Canadian government to declare an immediate moratorium on
the approval of new genetically modified (GM) food varieties until a
more rigorous and independent system of approving, regulating,
monitoring, and labelling GM foods has been fully implemented.

"We believe that our current regulatory system lacks the necessary
transparency, independence and rigour to truly ensure food safety and
ecological sustainability," says Hathaway. "We need an independent
government agency working at arm's length to test and monitor all GM
foods. This agency should publish all test results and make them
available for scientific peer review."

In a letter sent this week to the Prime Minister, the United Church
outlines the genetically modified food policy recently approved by its
General Council Executive. The policy's recommendations are the result
of nearly four years of work involving study and consultation with
United Church congregations, theologians, ethicists, agronomists, and
other scientists.

The recommendations cover a broad range of issues, including the
mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods; guaranteeing the
right of farmers to save, reuse, and exchange seeds; and guaranteeing
that Canada's trade and food aid policies do not promote-directly or
indirectly-the adoption of GM foods in countries that have not
explicitly chosen to do so.

Hathaway explains that the United Church also believes that the
Government of Canada should commission thorough, independent,
peer-reviewed research into some of the key unanswered safety and
ecological concerns around GM foods.

As well, he says, some aspects of GM food technology should simply be
prohibited because they pose significant health and ecological risks.
One example of this would be a ban on using GM food crops to produce
chemical and pharmaceutical products, such as drugs and hormones, that
could negatively affect human or animal health if consumed
unintentionally.

The moratorium on new GM food approvals is an important first step in
creating a regulatory system that takes precaution seriously, says
Hathaway.

He adds, "Over four years ago, the Royal Society of Canada Expert
Panel's report called for a much more rigorous and independent
regulatory framework for GM foods. Not only have few of the report's key
recommendations ever been implemented, but now, with recent legislative
initiatives like Bill C-27, regulations applying to the approval of GM
and other novel foods could even be weakened."

The United Church of Canada believes the moratorium should remain in
place until a new independent agency and regulatory regime for GM foods
has been implemented, and all GM food varieties that are currently
approved for consumption have been retested.

To arrange media interviews, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis
Communications Officer
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (business)