FOE campaigns for UN Biosafety agreements

Friends of the Earth (FOE) is pressing for an agreement based on the need to protect the environment and food security at key talks on the international regulation of genetically modified organisms.

The talks, held in Montreal, look set to agree a 'Biosafety Protocol', following the collapse of world trade talks in December last year where Friends of the Earth exposed attempts by the European Commission to negotiate with the USA on how to make the trade in GMOs freer and smoother through World Trade Organisation rules.

Friends of the Earth claims that countries should be allowed to take a precautionary approach to GMO policy and prevent imports if they so wish. FOE is also calling for protocol that will protect food security in developing countries.