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Sie finden den Offenen Brief in seiner englischen Version. Der Brief als pdf-Dokument hier unten auf der Seite zum Download. Umfangreiche Informationen in deutscher Sprache zum Beispiel im GID 171. Zur Kampagne in englischer Sprache auf den Seiten des World Rainforest Movement.

Open letter to all members of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA)

February, 2008 The undersigned, members of organizations from countries where research on the genetic modification of trees is being carried out, or has been recently, would like to express in this letter some of the reasons of our deep concern.
First of all, our concern is based on the fact that the genetic manipulation being undertaken is aimed at consolidating and further expanding a model of monoculture tree plantations that has already proven to result in serious social and environmental impacts in many of our countries.
In addition, the use of transgenic trees will further aggravate the proven impacts on water resources, since one of the traits that researchers are attempting to introduce is faster growth, which would mean even greater consumption of water by tree plantations.
At the same time, research is being undertaken to introduce genes that will make the trees more resistant to cold temperatures, for the purpose of planting them in colder regions and at higher altitudes in the mountains. This would lead to social and environmental impacts in areas that until now have not been affected by the impacts of current tree monocultures.
Research is also underway to develop trees with insecticide properties, in order to make them resistant to insects like the pine shoot moth (Ryacionia buoliana). This could result in the death of a large number of other insect species, with consequent impacts on local fauna’s food chains and perhaps even on the pollinization of native flora species that depend on those insects.
Research is also being undertaken to introduce genes that would increase the trees’ resistance to the herbicide glysophate, which would lead to even more serious social and environmental impacts, including the destruction of local flora and impacts on human health.
Additionally, research is being carried out to develop eucalyptus trees with a higher cellulose content for the production of cellulose for paper and for the production of ethanol. This would mean reducing the amount of lignin, the component that provides trees with structural strength, thus making them more susceptible to suffering -as well as causing- serious damage during wind storms.
It is important to note that the last Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-8) adopted decision VIII/19 (Forest biological diversity: implementation of the programme of work), which “recommends Parties to take a precautionary approach when addressing the issue of genetically modified trees.” This decision is founded on COP-8’s recognition of “the uncertainties related to the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, including long-term and transboundary impacts, of genetically modified trees on global forest biological diversity, as well as on the livelihoods of indigenous and local communities, and given the absence of reliable data and of capacity in some countries to undertake risk assessments and to evaluate those potential impacts.”
We therefore wish to call upon you to recommend the Convention on Biodiversity Convention to definitely ban GE trees -including fields trials – because of the serious risks they pose on the Planet’s biological diversity.
Download Open letter.

Signatures

21st Paradigm, USA A SEED Europe, The Netherlands Acción Ecológica, Ecuador AG Wald des Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung, Germany Agenda 21 Anil&Azul - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Agenda Regional de La Araucanía, Chile Agrupación ambientalista Koyam Newen, Chile Agrupación de jóvenes profesionales mapuche Konapewman, Chile Alianza por una Mejor Calidad de Vida (RAP-Chile), Chile Amigos de la Tierra España – Friends of the Earth Spain, Spain AOPA - Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Agroecologia, Brazil Argonautas Ambientalistas da Amazônia, Brazil AS-PTA Assessoria e Serviços a Projetos em Agricultura Alternativa, Brazil Associação de Programas em Tecnologias Alternativas-APTA, Brazil ASSOCIAÇÃO GAÚCHA DE PROTEÇÃO AO AMBIENTE NATURAL - AGAPAN, Brazil B.C. Food Systems Network, Canada Bergwaldprojekt, Germany Biofuelwatch, United Kingdom BUND - Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz in Deutschland / Friends of the Earth Germany CAA - Centro de Agricultura Alternativa, Brazil Californians for GE-Free Agriculture, USA Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), Canada Caney Fork Headwaters Association, USA Carbon Trade Watch, International CAxTIERRA (Comisión de Apoyo X Tierra), Uruguay Centro de Agricultura Alternativa do Norte de Minas - CAA NM, Brazil Centro de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos – CDDH, Brazil Centro de Estudos Ambientais (CEA), Brazil CENTRO ECOLOGICO BORDE RIO, Chile Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Rio Pomba (CEFET-Rio Pomba), Brazil CLOC (Coordinadoria LatinoAmericana de las Organizaciones del Campo), Republica Dominicana Coalition for Safe Food, Powell River, British Columbia, Canada COATI - Centro de Orientação Ambiental Terra Integrada - Jundiaí, Brazil CODEFF / Amigos de la Tierra, Chile Comissão Pastoral da Terra - Diocese Itabuna/Bahia, Brazil Coorporación Unión Araucana "XAPELEAI TAIÑ KIMVN", Padre Las Casas, Chile Crescente Fértil, Brazil Cumberland Countians for Peace & Justice, USA Development Fund, Norway Dogwood alliance, USA Down to Earth - the International Campaign for Ecological Justice in IndonesiaUnited Kingdom Ecodevelop - Publikation und Dienstleistung für ökosoziale Entwicklung, Germany Ecologistas en Acción, Madrid, Spain ESPLAR - CENTRO DE PESQUISA E ASSESSORIA, Brazil ETC Group, Canada Fair-Fish, Switzerland Federação de Órgãos Para Assistência Social e Educacional - FASE/ES, Brazil Federation of Alberta Naturalists, Canada FERN, United Kingdom FoE Australia FoE Czech Republic Forest Caucus Steering Committee of the Canadian Environmental Network, Canada Forest Peoples Programme, United Kingdom Fórum Carajás, Brazil Fórum de Mulheres do Espírito Santo, Brazil Fórum em Defesa da Zona Costeira do Ceará, Brazil Forum Ökologie & Papier, Germany Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), United Kingdom Friends of the Earth Australia Friends of the Earth Europe Fundação Vitória Amazônica, Brazil Fundacion Sociedades Sustentables de Chile, Chile Gaia Foundation, International GE Free New Zealand, Aotearoa/New Zealand GEEMA - Grupo de Estudos em Educação e Meio Ambiente, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil GENANET - focal point gender, environment, sustainabilty, Germany Gene ethical Network, Germany Gesellschaft für Ökolgische Forschung, Munich, Germany Global Forest Coalition, International Global Justice Ecology Project, International GM Freeze, United Kingdom GM-Free Dorset Campaign, United Kingdom Green Press Initiative, USA Greenpeace, International Grupo Ambientalista da Bahia - Gambá, Brazil Grupo Mamangava, Brazil GT Ambiente / AGB-Rio e AGB-Niteroi, Brazil IDESA (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Social e Ambiental), Brazil Indiana Forest Alliance, USA Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), USA/Canada Institute for Responsible Technology, USA Institute for Social Ecology, USA Instituto Ambiental Viramundo - Ceará, Brazil Instituto para o Desenvolvimento Ambiental - IDA, Brazil International Tribal Association, USA Kentucky Heartwood, USA Latin American Network Against Monoculture Tree Plantations, International Les Amis de la Terre (Friends of the Earth France), France Mapuexpress informativo digital mapuche, Chile MIRA-SERRA, Brazil Movimiento de los Trabajadores Rurales sin Tierra de Brasil - MST, Brazil Muslim Aid, United Kingdom Nandor Tanczos, Member of Parliament, Green Party, Aotearoa/New Zealand NEADIst - Núcleo de Educação Ambiental Continuada e à Distância, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Network for a free GE LAtin America, International Network for Environmental & Economic Responsibility, United Church of Christ, USA Nguallen Pelu Mapu / protectores de la tierra, Chile Northern Heritage Association, Finland Northwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering, USA Northwoods Wilderness Recovery, USA OroVerde - Tropical Forest Foundation, Germany Pacific Indigenous Peoples Environment Coalition (PIPEC), Aotearoa/New Zealand Plataforma Transgenicos Fora (Portuguese GM-Free Coalition), Portugal Prairie Red Fife Organic Growers Cooperative Ltd., Canada Prodema - UFC, Brazil RAE - Rede de Educação Ambiental Escolar, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rainforest Relief, USA Red por una América Latina Libre de Transgénicos, Ecuador Rede Ambiental do Piauà - REAPI, Brazil Rede de Educadores Ambientais da Baixada de Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rede de Integração Verde, Brazil Rettet den Regenwald, Germany Rising Tide North America, USA Robin Wood, Germany Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment (SAFE)USA Sierra Club, USA Sindicato dos Trabalhadores de Rio Pardo de Minas - MG, Brazil Sociedade Angrense de Proteção Ecológica, Brazil Society for a Genetically Engineered British Columbia, Canada Soil Association, USA Stop GE Trees Campaign, International Terra de Directos, Brazil UITA - Unión Internacional de Trabajadores de la Alimentación y la Agricultura, International Union of Ecoforestry in Finland Union paysanne, Québec, Canada UNORCA - Unión nacional de organizaciones regionales campesinas autónomas, Mexico Via Campesina Brazil Vía Campesina Caribe Via Campesina Internacional/América del sur Washington Biotechnology Action Council, USA Wild Virginia, USA Women's Environmental Network, United Kingdom World Development Movement, United Kingdom World Rainforest Movement, International Worldforests, Scotland Worldview, USA Xarxa de l'Observatori del Deute en la Globalització, Cataluña, Estado español