Parliamentary Hearings on Genetically Modified “Foods” in CAPE TOWN! PUBLIC ATTENDANCE IS ESSENTIAL. Haidee Swanby from ACB is going to present the Petition on Agent Orange Maize that All of You signed. You Are ALL Invited to Attend, let Us All go & Support Haidee 🙂 See You There! Friday the 13th is Our Lucky Day 🙂

Timeline Photos
Dear All

The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture is holding a briefing on GMOs on Friday 13th September. This is the first of 3 such briefings that they are planning.
5 Departments will make presentations on the status of GM in the country and their role in administering. (agenda attached)

As you may remember, ACB sent a petition to parliament over a year ago requesting that they overturn a decision to allow the import of “agent orange” maize, review current risk assessment procedures and hold public hearings. This seems at last to be the beginning of this process. Civil society does not have a slot to present at this briefing and it is unclear if space has been made for us at the next two.

Haidee Swanby from ACB will be attending and will hand our petition to the Chair, reiterating our call for a platform for the public to air their concerns. The support for this petition has now grown to about 10 000 signatures. We are finalising the text now and will send to you as soon as its ready.

Our major concern (amongst many) is the complete lack of choice for consumers over their staple food – all of the maize on the market is now GM. We also have little faith in the current risk assessment procedure as well as lack of access to information and decision making.

The meeting is open for anyone to attend, so we are appealing to anyone who can make it to join me. If necessary, we could meet before to strategise a way forward and update on the issues.

Please Contact Haidee
082 459 8548
Haidee@polka.co.za …read more