Peru's congress approves 10 year GMO ban

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In 2009, in diplomatic cables later made public by wikileaks, the US identified the "key countries" it had in its sights for GMOs, and Peru was on the list.

Then, earlier this year, the administration of the outgoing Peruvian President slipped in a decree that opened the door for GM foods and seeds. But the subsequent outcry forced not only the resignation of the Agriculture Minister who'd introduced the decree but also a 10-year ban on GMOs.

Now, because that ban wasn't signed into law by the outgoing Administration, the new Peruvian Congress has overwhelmingly approved the ban once again. And the new President is a known opponent of GMOs.
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Peru’s Congress approves 10-year GMO ban

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE, November 5 2011

Peru's Congress Approves GMO Ban

LIMA – Peru’s Congress announced Friday it overwhelmingly approved a 10-year moratorium on imports of genetically modified organisms in order to safeguard the country’s biodiversity.

The measure bars GMOs - including seeds, livestock, and fish - from being imported for cultivation or to be raised locally.

Exceptions include the use of GMO products for research purposes in a closed environment, but those will be closely monitored, the legislature’s official news service said.

The bill, approved late Thursday, now goes to President Ollanta Humala to be signed into law. Humala, who has been in power since late July, has repeatedly said he opposes GM programs.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, Peru is one of the world’s leading exporters of organic food, including coffee and cocoa, with $3 billion a year in revenues and 40,000 certified producers.

Congress approved a similar 10-year moratorium in June, but outgoing president Alan Garcia, who was seen as being favorable to GM, did not ratify the ban.

There was friction over GM in the previous government’s ministries of agriculture and environment.

The head of Peru’s Consumer Agency, Jaime Delgado, said the moratorium is long enough to learn from scientific studies that will emerge on the effects of GMO products.

The country’s leading group representing farmers and ranchers, the National Agrarian Convention, said that by this measure Peru “defends its biodiversity, its agriculture, its gastronomy and its health.”

end of excerpt.
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Good for Peru and thankyou. Poland's president recently did the same thing. This plan by the US to force GMOs on countries is part of the new clandestine war foisted upon us by war chemical makers like Monsanto and more people are seeing it. Also, more countries across the ocean are refusing to accept imports of GMOS. Hopefully that will exert the kind of pressure needed as well to push this government to look at what is truly important here. And it isn't the motto on our money, it's what the money is being used for. It is refreshing and hopeful to see countries whose leadership is not bought and sold by Monsanto like the U.S. government is. Let us hope they don't start feeling more pressure and intimidation to go back on this.