Attention: Editors and Reporters FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 3, 2002 Nicaraguan Representatives Denounce Food Aid Contamination by Genetically Engineered Crops Not Approved in Their Country Representatives of the Alliance for a Nicaragua Free of Genetically Modified Organisms are visiting Washington this week to denounce genetically modified organisms (GMOs) they discovered through DNA testing of food aid to Nicaragua from the World Food Program and the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.). Victor Campos from the Humboldt Center, a leading Nicaraguan environmental group (and a Friends of the Earth International affiliate), and Ana Quiroz from Nicaragua's Center for Health Information and Advisory Service, oppose sending food to Nicaragua that people in other parts of the world avoid. According to Campos, "It is unacceptable that the children of Nicaragua are consuming genetically modified products that come masked as food aid for our country. It is well known that baby food companies in the U.S. and Europe do not use genetically modified products. Nevertheless, our highly-vulnerable condition has been used as an opportunity to send products that children in developed countries do not consume." The Alliance notes the growing worldwide opposition to genetically modified crops because of fears about their environmental and health impacts; the potential for contamination, as in Mexico, of local farmers' crops by GMO contaminated seed; and the contradiction of World Food Programme statements that their shipments do not contain GMOs. Quiroz and Campos are taking their opposition to genetically modified organisms in food aid to members of congress, to U.S.A.I.D., and to U.S. environmental and hunger relief groups. Their schedule includes a briefing at 11:00 on Tuesday, June 4th at Friends of the Earth, 1025 Vermont Ave., NW, 3rd floor. Test results for four contaminated seed and flour samples will be available. For a phone or face-to-face interview with Campos and Quiroz, please call +1 202-271-4914. Interviews available in Spanish and English. Contact: Charles Warpehoski +1 202-544-9355, +1 202-271-4914 charles@afgj.org