The Campaign to Stop GE Trees
Genetically engineered trees pose risks of contaminating forests, damaging ecosystems and harming communities
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Faces Behind the Campaign︱Theresa Church
Meet the faces who support the Campaign to Stop GE Trees. Here’s what Theresa Church, Assistant Director of Global Justice Ecology Project, had to say about her journey to working with us. What's your background? Professionally, I am the Assistant...
Faces Behind the Campaign︱BJ McManama
Meet the faces who have supported the Campaign to Stop GE Trees. Here's what BJ McManama had to say about her journey to working with us. Every once in a while I get asked by people who don’t know me well, why I chose to be a full-time activist or, more accurately, a...
Truthout Article on Potential Release of GE American Chestnut Tree
Anne Petermann is the Executive Director of Global Justice Ecology Project. She has been working on issues related to protecting forests and defending the rights of Indigenous peoples since 1990 and co-founded the first global campaign against genetically engineered...
The goal of the campaign is to protect native forests, and to defend the rights of forest dependent communities and Indigenous Peoples from the unknown and irreversible risks of releasing genetically engineered (GE) trees.
WHAT ARE GE TREES?
Trees are being genetically engineered for traits such as faster growth, and disease resistance.
GE TREE NEWS
Catch up on recent news, events, articles and education resources about GE trees.
TAKE ACTION
It’s time to mobilize! You can help end the threat of genetically engineered trees.
GE TREES RESOURCES
Arm yourself with information about GE Trees (also called GM Trees)
Sign the Petition
Add your name to stop US government approval of the widespread release of genetically engineered (GE or genetically modified) American chestnut trees into our forests. The risks are huge.
If approved, these GE trees will spread their pollen and seeds freely. This would be the first GE forest tree released in the US, opening the floodgates to others.
It would also be the first-ever intentional release of a fertile genetically modified organism (GMO) into wild ecosystems, opening the door to other uncontrollable GMO releases.
Engineers think they can (re) create nature in the lab, but neither trees nor any species can be replaced by with GE facsimiles. Decades of progress to restore wild American chestnut trees would be lost. This is not restoration, but a dangerous open-air experiment.
There are no long-term risk assessments of this plan and scientists warn such assessments are not possible. American chestnuts can live hundreds of years and have deeply intertwined relationships with other trees, and with insects, songbirds and other wildlife.
Join individuals and organizations across the world in demanding the rejection of genetically engineered trees. We cannot allow this kind of dangerous experimentation with our forests.