GMO-free Ecuador!

In 2008, Ecuador became the first country to declare itself free of transgenic seeds and crops at the level of the country’s constitution. Nevertheless, in part supported by the United States Government, private industry has arrived in Ecuador to organize in favor of transgenic technology.

Recently, President Correa aligned himself with these interests and called for the revision of the Constitutional measures and laws blocking the introduction and proliferation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)\transgenic technology in agriculture.

There is no scientific evidence that transgenics improve productivity or sustainability in agriculture. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence that GMOs\transgenics can adversely affect human health and destabilize agro-ecologies and the environment in unpredictable and uncontrollable ways that reach across food systems and international borders.

The introduction of GMOs in Ecuador would place at risk the country’s control over its seed systems and agrobiodiversity as well as contaminate ecologies in an age-old center of origin of primary food crops and other important species. In addition, as a result of growing consumer concern over GMOs, the introduction of this technology would place into risk Ecuador’s national and international markets.