THE PACIFIC DECLARATION

We the undersigned, in recognition of the fundamental importance of our planet's natural genetic heritage and diversity, and in acknowledgment of the power of genetic engineering to transform this heritage, believe that the proponents and practitioners of genetic technologies must adhere to the principles of prudence, transparency and accountability.

We also aver that respect for life, ensuring a habitable planet, and protecting ecosystems are universally recognized and fundamental human values. For this reason, those altering the genetic integrity of natural species bear the burden of proving their interventions will not jeopardize these values.

We also believe in democracy. In democratic societies, any decision to deploy powerful new technologies must be made with full public participation and accountability. To date, our government, international agencies, public universities and biotechnology corporations have neglected these objectives. Therefore we declare:

1) Environmental safety and public health require the systematic study of any transgenically modified living organism over multiple generations before allowing its environmental release or marketing;

2) All proposed products derived from genetic engineering must be shown to contribute to the general welfare of consumers, farmers and society without compromising the viability of traditional agricultural practices, including organic farming;

3) Farmers and agrarian peoples generally who have cultivated, nurtured and developed crops have the right to control their crop materials;

4) Such control includes the right to cultivate indigenous or conventional species using traditional methods, and freely to use or re-use any genetic seed stock;

5) People should have access to all relevant data concerning the potential effect of genetically modified organisms on the health of present or future generations;

6) People have the right to accept or decline any food product for personal, religious or philosophical reasons;

7) In the absence of compelling evidence showing the equivalence and safety of genetically engineered compared to conventional foods, all food products derived from genetic technologies must be accurately labeled;

8) The medical injunction to “do no harm” requires adequate and sufficient pre- and post-market testing and surveillance of genetically engineered products;

9) The present lack of such testing contravenes this injunction and thereby jeopardizes universal access to safe food, potentially putting at risk present and future vulnerable populations including pregnant women and young children; and

10) Because the fundamental discoveries of genetic engineering were developed through public funding, justice requires that any and all risks, costs and benefits of the products of genetic engineering be equitably distributed in society.

Until our government has created a comprehensive and effective regulatory system for all products of genetic engineering; and

Until such fundamental and constitutionally guaranteed protections of life and liberty, as well as protection of the health of the environment, food security and consumer right to know are vouchsafed;

We call upon our governmental representatives to suspend any further introduction of genetically engineered organisms and to hold the practitioners of genetic engineering, whether they be corporations, universities or governmental agencies fully liable for any adverse consequences of their work.

Signatories

CONFEREES
Alliance for Bio-IntegritySteven M. Druker, President Fairfield, Iowa
Campaign for Food Safety, Ronnie Cummins, National Director,Little Marais, Minnesota
Center for Environmental Health, Michael Green, Oakland, CA
Center for Ethics and Toxics, Marc Lappé, Director, (Britt Bailey, Senior Associate), Gualala, CA
Center for Food Safety, Joseph Mendelson, Legal Director, Washington, D.C.
Commonweal, Michael Lerner, President, (Davis Baltz), Bolinas, CA
The Constellation Fund, Christina L. Desser, San Francisco, CA
Consumer's Choice Council, Chad Dobson, Director, Washington, DC
Corporate Agribusiness Research Project, A.V. Krebs, Director, Everett, WA
Council for Responsible Genetics, Martin Teitel, Executive Director, (Ruth Hubbard,Doreen Stabinsky,Paul R. Billings), Cambridge, MA
The Edmonds InstituteBeth Burrows, President/Director, Edmonds, WA
Environmental Health Fund, Gary Cohen, Executive Director, Boston, MA
Food and Farming Forum, Claire Cummings, Director, Berkeley, CA
Food First/The Institute for Food and Development Policy, Peter M. Rosset, Executive Director, Oakland, CA
Foundation on Economic Trends, Jeremy Rifkin, President, (Jon Akland, Research Director), Burlington, VT
Friends of the Earth, Larry Bohlen, Director, Health and Environment Programs, Washington, DC
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Mark Ritchie, President, (Renske van Staveren), Minneapolis, MN
The Natural Law Party of the USA, Kingsley Brooks, Chairman, Laura Ticciati, Executive Director,
Mothers for Natural LawFairfield, Iowa
Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Dave Henson, Executive Director, Occidental, CA
Pesticide Action Network of North America, Ellen Hickey, Director of Research and Communications, San Francisco, CA
Pesticide Watch, Gregg Small, Executive Director, San Francisco, CA
Rural Advancement Foundation International, USA, Michael Sligh, Director of Sustainable Agriculture, Chapel Hill, NC
Rural Vermont, Ellen H. Taggart, Executive Director, Montpelier, VT
Washington Biotechnology Action Council, Philip Bereano, Seattle, WA
Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, John Fawcett-Long, Coordinator (William Aal),Seattle, WA
American Corn Growers Association, Dan McGuire, Policy Chairman, Lincoln, NE

ADDITIONAL SIGNERS
Abiquiu Organics, Scott MarkmanAbiquia, NM
Alliance for Democracy of Indiana, Stefanie Miller, Secretary, Indianapolis, IN
Association of State Green Parties, U.S.A.Anna Goeke, Tom Sevigny, Betty Zisk, Co-Chairs[Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming]
Breast Cancer Fund, Andrea Martin, Founder and Executive Director, San Francisco, CA
Calvary Church, Douglass M. Bailey, Rector, William Shephard, Calvary Green Committee Chairman, Memphis, TN
Center for Environmental Health, Ann Melamed, Health CareWithout Harm Project Manager, Oakland, CA
Community Health Advocates, Michael Freund, San Francisco, CA
Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, Tom Turner*San Francisco, CA
Environmental Health Coalition, Joy Williams, San Diego, CA
FarmFolk/CityFolk, Herb Barbolet, Executive Director, Vancouver, BC
Catholic Healthcare West, Susan Vickers, San Francisco, CA
Collective Heritage Institute, Nina Simons, Public Policy and Legal Services Coordinator, Santa Fe, NM
Earth Justice Ministries, Reverend Sharon Delgado, Santa Cruz, CA
Episcopal Diocese of California, Commission for the Environment, The Reverend Sally Bingham, Chair, San Francisco, CA
Green Party of St. Louis/Gateway Green Alliance, Barbara Chicherio, Co-coordinator, St. Louis, MO
The Humane Society of the United States, Dr. Michael W. Fox, Senior Scholar, Bioethics, Washington, DC
Indicators Program, Redefining Progress, Mathis Wackernagel, Director, San Francisco, CA,
Institute for World Religions, Ron Epstein, Research Professor*, Berkeley, CA
Mendocino Environmental Center, Linda McClure, Coordinator, Ukiah, CA
Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet, Betsy Lydon, Program Director, New York, New York
Natural Resources Defense Council, Gina M. Solomon, Senior Scientist, San Francisco, CA
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, Sustainable Agriculture Program Association, Jeff Rast, Fairfield, ID
Organic Consumers Association, Ben Lilliston, Director,Little Marais, Minnesota
Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters, Sr. Lucy Regalado, President Leadership Team Council Member, Huntington, Indiana
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Robert M. Gould, President, SF-Bay Area Chapter, San Francisco, CA
Shalom Center, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director, Philadelphia, PA
Sierra Club, Laurel Hopwood, Biotechnology Task Force Chair, San Francisco, CA
Sisters, Adrian Dominican, Margaret Weber, Adrian, MI
Soul of Agriculture, Stanislaus J. Dundon*Coordinator, Davis, California
Sussex County Mission of the Episcopal Church &Delmarva Poultry Justice Alliance, Reverend Jim Lewis, Bethany Beach, Delaware
Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Stacie Clary, Director, Santa Cruz, CA
Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison Greens, John E. Peck, Madison, WI
Natural Law Party of Canada, Richard Wolfson, PhDDirector of Health Policy, Ottawa, Canada
Heron Food and Garden Coop, Jill Davies, Noxon, MT
Women's Cancer Resource Center, Diane Estrin, Executive Director, Catherine Porter, Public Policy and Legal Services Coordinator, Berkeley, CA
Texas Organic Growers Association, Steven Sprinkel, administrative vice-president, Austin, Texas
Center of Concern, James E. Hug, SJ, Presidentand CEO, Washington, DC

*organizational affiliation listed for the purpose of identification only