What a cool story ...
Genetically Engineered Food Foes Promote
'Bill Of Rights' For Seeds
(edited)
A local artist joined city officials in
Brisbane to introduce an art exhibit and "Bill of Rights for
Seeds" in an effort to bring attention to the proliferation of
genetically engineered food and people's rights to define their own
food systems.
Mayor Clarke Conway was set to present the seed bill of rights at a
public reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at City Hall as part of an
unveiling of an art exhibit by Brisbane artist Beth
Grossman.
Grossman said she was inspired by the
constitutions of Bolivia and Ecuador to create the "Bill of Rights
for Seeds," which lays out measures that cities and other
governments can take to better protect the environment and to be aware
of the potential dangers of genetically engineered foods, also known
as genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.
According to the Sierra Club, genetically engineered foods could
create new allergens and toxins and spread harmful traits to non-GMO
crops, and the overuse of genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant
crops has prompted more herbicide use and herbicide-resistant
plants.
"The overriding problem is just that we don't know what's going
to happen when genetically engineered seeds start to germinate in the
future," Grossman said.
She also cited the disproportionate level of control over the
world's food systems by only a handful of biotechnology corporations
such as Monsanto.
The 'bill of rights' is written in ink on seed bags in quill
ink.
"It's a literal bill of rights for seeds
but it's also more metaphorical in the sense that we as humans need
to consider ourselves stewards of all of the natural organisms in the
world," Grossman said.
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