The process of recovery of food sovereignty in Bolivia has had to overcome several obstacles. Besides the Brazilian ranchers who had appropriated large extensions of land for decades, the penetration of GM seeds is one of the targets of Evo Morales popular project and the Bolivian peasant organizations.

Real World Radio spoke with Oscar Mendieta Chavez, advisor of the Ministry of Rural Development and Lands of Bolivia during the FAO’s Regional Consultation on land use and ownership.

In his own words , the rural, indigenous, native, peasant and intercultural organizations “are the government” now and they have decided to oppose the pillage of their natural resources.

Under the orders of Evo Morales, the Bolivian state agencies are already working on the process of declaring the Altiplano region free of genetically modified organisms.

“We obviously can’t share the statement of big agribusiness, that the world hunger will be solved through hybrid seeds and GMOs”, said Mendieta.

“These GM seeds are not the result of nature or God, therefore instead of benefiting the peasant agriculture, they pose a threat of contamination to the wild, local genetic resources, as well as to the consumers.

The process of genetic modification uses antibiotics, so the GMO consumer can become immune to antibiotics in the long run, said Mendieta Chavez.

“If we understand that by eating a potato, a crop we are native producers of, a grain of corn or wheat, we are eating the history of our cultures and we cannot accept this genetic manipulation”, he said.

“Our President has said that in five years all GM seeds will have to be eliminated, and local varieties will have to be rescued”.
This plan of Evo Morales was the basis of his speech at the Peoples Summit on Climate Change in Cochabamba, says Mendieta, by pointing out specific examples of the bad effects of GMOs on human health.

Photo: http://journalmex.wordpress.com