<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div><a href="http://www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it/english/decree-against-gmo-corn-signed-by-ministers-no636272/">http://www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it/english/decree-against-gmo-corn-signed-by-ministers-no636272/</a></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="679"><tbody><tr><td class="fontsott" valign="top"><i>First step in safeguarding biodiversity, De Girolamo says</i><br></td>
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<img src="http://www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it/english/decree-against-gmo-corn-signed-by-ministers-no636272/images/0spaziovuoto.gif" height="1" border="0" width="1"></td>
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<td class="font16" valign="top" width="100%"><font color="#000000"><img src="http://www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it/foto/2013/07/1373637922-7032fb1f9d84041e13009a3ff55219e9.jpg" style="margin: 3px 5px 5px 0px" height="170" align="left" border="0" width="215">(ANSA) - Rome, July 12 - Italian Agriculture Minister
Nunzia De Girolamo's battle against genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) took a step forward on Friday after a decree
prohibiting the cultivation of MON810 corn in Italy was signed
on Friday.
The decree was signed together with Health Minister
Beatrice Lorenzin and Environment Minister Andrea Orlando.
"Today's decree is only the first step, the most urgent,
of a series of further initiatives with which will define a new
framework for the cultivation of GMOs in our country," Girolamo
said. <br>
"It is a measure that protects our specific
(biodiversity), which safeguards Italy from homogenous
products...we need to focus on quality," De Girolamo said.
The GMO issue is particularly explosive in Italy.
As the second-largest producer of organic crops in Europe
and the fourth largest in the world, there is widespread fear of
the potential damage resulting from accidental GMO
contamination.
Italian farmers association Coldiretti said in June that
nearly eight out of 10, or 76%, of Italians were against GMOs -
14% more compared to a survey from last year.
"Agricultural entrepreneurs say no and surveys show
opposition (to GMOs). <br>If we start growing homogenous produce we
lose what makes us characteristic and will this greatly damage
our agricultural sector," De Girolamo said last week.<br></font></td></tr></tbody></table><div> </div><div style="color:rgb(255, 127, 0);"><font style="color:rgb(255, 127, 0);font-weight:bold;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" size="2"><span style="font-family:bookman old style, new york, times, serif;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">===============================</span><br>Chuck Palazzo<br>Agent Orange Action Group</span><br>http://aoag.org/<br><span style="font-family:bookman old style, new york, times, serif;">Hoa Binh Chapter, Veterans For Peace</span><br>http://vfp-vn.ning.com/</font><font size="1"><font class="yui_3_2_0_2_133065404731860" style="font-weight:bold;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" size="2"><br></font></font><span class="yiv118013358"></span><br><font size="1"><font style="font-weight:bold;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"
size="2">chuck_pal@yahoo.com<br>================================</font></font></div><div><span><br></span></div></div></body></html>