A Vibrant Network

In a world of increasing convergence among international social movements, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) has been leading the way in building global collaborations to protect health and the environment. For over twenty-three years, PAN North America has been building a tri-national network of community-based groups; local, state, and national public interest organizations; and individuals from Canada, Mexico, and the United States. PAN fosters strategic alignment of affiliate organizations to accomplish our common goal—replacing pesticide use with socially just and environmentally sound alternatives. PAN’s Affiliates are represented in PAN campaign planning by a fifteen-member Networking Council. Here are updates from two of the Affiliate groups in the North America network:

Colectivo Ecologista Jalisco, Mexico

For the vibrant organic and fair trade movement to continue to enjoy long-term success, markets must be developed for these goods in the countries where they are produced as well as abroad. The Jalisco Ecological Collective, based in Guadalajara, is at the forefront of building Mexico’s movement of responsible consumers—emphasizing fair trade, organic alternatives and the powerful role that consumers can play in creating just and healthy food systems. Maite Cortés, a veteran member of PAN North America’s Networking Council, is a key organizer in the Collective. The Collective celebrates its twentieth anniversary of struggle during June 2006. ¡ADELANTE!

The Collective is currently promoting global environmental citizenship through workshops comparing toxic ingredients produced by companies that distribute foods in both Finland and in Mexico. Disturbingly, the same companies market more toxic ingredients in Mexico than in Finland. The Collective is promoting public policies that prohibit this practice.

For more information, visit http://www.cej.org.mx.

Ban Terminator Campaign, Canada

Lucy Sharratt, another Networking Council member, is coordinating the international Ban Terminator campaign to secure national and international prohibition of “Terminator” technology—genetically modifying seeds to render crops sterile at harvest. The Terminator technology was pioneered by Delta and Pineland together with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect intellectual property of biotech companies by preventing farmers from saving and re-planting harvested seed. The technology would secure ongoing markets for patented genetically modified seeds, often sold in conjunction with a pesticide package, further cementing dependency on chemical-intensive agriculture. Although public outcry has prevented terminator seeds from being commercialized, they are still being promoted by biotech corporations and complicit government agencies. The Ban Terminator campaign is organizing to defend and strengthen United Nations’ opposition to terminator technology and to enact national bans on its commercialization.

The United Nations’ de facto moratorium on the use of Terminator technology will be reviewed at the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on March 20–31, 2006 in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. You can help ensure that this meeting strengthens the existing de facto moratorium on Terminator technology and takes steps to ban it once and for all.

For more information on how to get active from wherever you are in the world, see http://www.banterminator.org.