MR. BOEHK: I'm sorry.

MR. ALLBEE: I will ask you to summarize at the bell.

MR. BOEHK: Okay. The bell is three minutes; is that correct?

MR. ALLBEE: Yes.

MR. BOEHK: Okay. Thank you.

I am from Boston Massachusetts. I'm here to speak as a U.S. citizen and as a taxpayer. In addition, I represent Protect Organic Campaign, which I'm the co-founder of. I speak for hundreds of people in New England who feel that the current experiment with genetically modified agricultural products must be stopped immediately. I am grateful for this opportunity to address the U.S. Trade office because your office has been the most, I'm sorry to say, belligerent purveyor of these transgenic organisms around the world.

It is our position that the current manifestation of global free trade as embodied in the World Trade Organization has forfeited its claim to legitimacy for ethical, legal and scientific reasons. I will focus my comments on the issues relating to so-called agricultural bio-technology.

The World Trade Organization has demonstrated that it simply lacks the scientific expertise necessary to make regulatory decisions about transgenic products, which represent the most radical -- and some argue perverse -- transformation of agriculture in human history. So far, in matters of dispute resolution, the WTO has consistently decided in favor of nations -- and the multinational corporations who increasingly appear to call the shots -- who are rushing experimental genetically altered products to market. The WTO supports the U.S. Trade Office position that these products are generally safe and benign. In reality, however, there is systemic and well documented conflict of interest, stealth, scientific bias, rush to approve products for commercial use not only within the WTO but also with the U.S. Trade Office and the USDA, all of which makes invalid these assertions of safety.

In support of this contention, I submit the World Scientists' statement of July 15, 1999, signed by 85 respected scientists from around the world, which calls for an immediate moratorium on further environmental releases of transgenic crops, food and animal feed products for at least five years. Moreover, they call for a ban on patents on living organisms, cell lines and genes, and urge that a comprehensive independent public inquiry into the future of agriculture and food security for all be undertaken immediately, taking account the full range of scientific findings as well as socioeconomic and ethical implications. Into the future of ago and food security for all.

They cite recent peer reviewed science. If you want to talk about science, I really sincerely urge you to read their statements, sir. They are citing peer review documents, very recent scientific studies by eminent scientists.

As a summary of one point, horizontal gene transfer between bacteria can occur in the gut at high frequencies. That's my gut and your gut. This has been demonstrated in the gut of germ-free mice. The implication of this is that genetically altered DNA can in fact alter our own DNA.

As another summary, I would cite a recent study on transgenic rice supports, previous evidence -- previous evidence that there is a recombination hotspot in the CaMV 35S promoter. Our comment is that transgenic lines containing the CaMV promoter, which includes practically all that have been released, are therefore prone to instability due to rearrangements and also have a potential to create new viruses or other invasive genetic elements. The continued release of such transgenic lines is unwarranted in light of new findings according to these 85 sign tests.

I will not sit idly by, in closing I would like to say, nor will many here in this room, while the U.S. Trade Representatives office of the WTO engage in reckless irreversible experiment with our food supply. What you're doing around the world is not representative of our will. The British, the Greeks, the Japanese and the French and all other sovereign nations have every right to determine what type I have food they want eat.

I hope you will take this into consideration. Thank you very much.

(Applause.)