International Conference: Genetically Modified Crops and Food in Europe – Future or Disaster?

10 December 2010

Venue: Ministry of the Environment, Peldu Street 25, Riga, Latvia

Friends of the Earth Latvia invites to attend the conference “Genetically Modified Crops and Food in Europe – Future or Disaster?” on 10 December 2010 in Riga.

The aim of the conference is to present risks of the genetically modified crops and food to human health and the environment and benefits of GMO-free agriculture for farmers and society in general.

Prof. Gilles-Eric Séralini, the President of the Scientific Board at the Committee for Research and Independent Information on Genetic Engineering, Molecular Biology Professor at the University of Caen, France, will present scientific findings on impact of GM crops and associated pesticides to human health.

Participants will be informed on novelties in the EU legislation on GMO issues. The representatives from the Austrian Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture will provide arguments and benefits of GMO-free agriculture. The last part of the conference will be devoted to non-governmental initiatives against GMO food and agriculture. Speakers from Latvian GMO-free movement and GM-Free Cymru (GM-Free Wales, UK) will share experiences on promoting GMO-free agriculture and food in their countries.

At the closing part of the conference participants will have opportunity to watch the documentary "The World According to Monsanto" (Arte France, 2008) or “Scientists under Attack: Science in the Magnetic Field of Money” by Bertram Verhaag (Denkmal-Film, 2010). The documentary reveals the heavy impact of the biotech industry on scientific research putting the future of scientific freedom under discussion.

The conference is organised by Friends of the Earth Latvia in cooperation with the Latvian Ministry of the Environment, the Embassy of France in Latvia, the Embassy of Austria in Latvia and the Representation of the European Commission in Latvia. The conference is a part of the project Developing the GMO policy in Latvia based on sustainability and public interests financed by EEA and Norway grants and the State aid from Social Integration Fond.

Programme

10.00	Press conference (invitations only)
11.00	Opening Welcome words by: Latvian Minister for Environment Raimonds Vējonis Armands Krauze, Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture
11.15	Agricultural GMOs and Associated Pesticides: Problems and Findings in Health Risks Assessment Prof. Gilles-Eric Séralini, President of the Scientific Board at the Committee for Research and Independent Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN), Molecular Biology Professor at the University of Caen, France
12.30	Responses and questions from auditory
	Lunch break
1st Part: GMO Policies in Europe
14.00	EU legislation on GMOs Reinis Āboltiņš, "Team Europe" expert
14.15	GMO Policy in Latvia Žaneta Mikosa, Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment of Latvia
14.30	GMO Policy in Austria Dr. Heinz-Peter Zach, Ministry of Agriculture, Austria Aspects of Health and Environmental Risk Assessment taking into account the precautionary principle Dr. Michel Haas, Ministry of Health, Austria
15.30	Responses and questions from auditory
	Coffee break
2nd Part: GMO-Free Initiatives
16.00	Non-governmental Initiatives in Latvia Inese Romanova, Coordinator of the “GMO-Free” movement in Latvia
16.15	Examples of Farmer Initiatives in Britain - Wales Gerald Miles, GM-Free Cymru (GM-Free Wales), UK
16.30	Documentary
17.30	End of the Conference

Conference programme in PDF format you can download here

Conference languages will be Latvian and English. Translation from Latvian into English and vice versa will be provided.

Program and registration: at the Friends of the Earth Latvia website www.zemesdraugi.lv. Attendance of the conference is free of charge.

For more information please contact Lāsma Ozola by e-mail: lasma.ozola@zemesdraugi.lv or by phone: (+371) 29664981.

Atpakaļ