Summary: New York City – On April 17, 2024, alarmed that Brazil has legalized 7 varieties of genetically engineered eucalyptus trees, which could devastate their forests, Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations denounced the emergency of genetically engineered (GMO or GE) trees for their forests and biodiversity.

The launch of an Indigenous Peoples’ campaign to stop GE Trees

New York City – On April 17, 2024, Global Justice Ecology Project, the Campaign to STOP GE Trees, and the National Commission of Indigenous Territories (CNTI) of Colombia launched an Indigenous Peoples’ worldwide campaign to stop genetically engineered (GE/GMO) trees. The launch was announced through a panel that was held during the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).

The panel focused on the growing threat of genetically engineered trees and consisted of four speakers: Celerina Sánchez, Ñuu Savi/Mixteca, Poet, Oaxaca, Mexico; Casey Camp-Horinek, Ambassador on the Environment of the Ponca Nation; Heather Lee, Campaign to STOP GE Trees and Global Justice Ecology Project, and; Gustavo Ulcué Campo of Nasa People and the National Commission of Indigenous Territories (CNTI) of Colombia.

Why is this an urgent issue?

As of April 2024, the only place commercial planting of GE trees is known to have taken place is in China. Brazil is the only other country to approve commercial planting and has approved 7 different GE Eucalyptus trees for commercially planting. So far it appears that no GE Trees have been commercial planted in Brazil.

Five of the seven GMO trees that Brazil has legalized for commercial planting are genetically modified to be resistant to the toxic herbicide glyphosate. Glyphosate has already had very adverse impacts for Indigenous Peoples, including the indigenous communities of the Colombian Amazon.

Casey Camp-Horinek:  The Urgency is Here

Casey Camp-Horinek, Ambassador on the Environment, Ponca Nation, stressed that GMO trees must be stopped immediately. “Everything that has to be done, has to be done now. The urgency is here.” The distinguished Indigenous elder and actor beloved for her role in the hit series Reservation Dogs was utterly appalled by GMO trees.

“Who has the foolishness [and] ugliness to take the seed from this relative and alter it in whatever manner they do and whatever way those laboratories allow them? It hurts how these humans are coming up with these false solutions to what they have created – what they call climate change.” – Casey Camp-Horinek

Why are GE Trees an issue for Indigenous Peoples?

Indigenous Peoples’ territories include 80% of the world’s biodiversity and genetically engineered (GE/GMO) trees could have potentially irreversible impacts on forests, biodiversity and to Indigenous Peoples’ way of life.

Gustavo Ulcué Campo: Defending Territories is Defending Life!

Gustavo Ulcué Campo of the Nasa People and the National Commission of Indigenous Territories (CNTI) of Colombia shared his concern about GMO trees.

 “GMO trees threaten the way of life, ancestral knowledge and food systems of Indigenous Peoples. Defending territories is defending life!” – Gustavo Ulcué Campo

Celerina Patricia Sánchez Santiag

To start the campaign, Celerina Patricia Sánchez Santiago recited a poem called “tree” where she recounted the importance of trees for her community.

Celerina Patricia Sánchez is a narrator, poet, translator and cultural promoter. She is originally from Mesón de Guadalupe, Municipality of San Juan Mixtepec, District of Santiago, Juxtlahuaca, Oaxaca. She is a Tu’un ñuu Savi (Mixtec) and Spanish speaker.

Why are trees being genetically engineered?

One way that trees are being genetically engineered is to survive heavy spraying from planes and drones with toxic herbicides including glyphosate, which can result in killing all of the other plant life on tree plantations and can contaminate nearby water sources and drift onto forests and communities.

They are also being engineered to produce an insecticide to kill “target insects”. The insecticide is present in and part of the entire tree, including the leaves, wood, bark, flowers, and pollen. This makes the tree toxic to other insects including honey bees and everything that feeds on the insects. Nearby communities are also forced to inhale the toxic pollen.

Trees are also being modified to grow quickly, to have straighter branches (so they can grow closer together) and to have modified wood quality to make the trees cheaper to process into pulp, textiles, or plastics.

Carbon Credits and REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation)

In addition, GE trees can be used for carbon credits schemes and REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). Some GE Trees are being made to resist rotting and decay, which could be apealling to carbon sequestering projects, but goes against the natural cycle of life, death, and decomposition.

During the side event “Respecting Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Carbon Market” organized by UNDP, Climate Focus, Forest Peoples Programme, Rainforest Foundation US, and the UNREDD Programme, Heather Lee from the Campaign to STOP GE Trees raised the question of how carbon rates could protect Indigenous Peoples’ from genetic contamination of the Amazon from GE trees, which would be irreversible, and whether resources were being created to inform Indigenous People of the risks of GE trees in carbon credit and REDD projects.

What are the impacts of GE trees?

Impacts can include massive land grabs and expropriation of territories, displacement of communities, violation of human rights, depleted and contaminated water, increased risk of forest fires and destruction of native forests.

The full range of impacts of GE trees is unknown – and unknowable. Genetically engineering trees can result in unpredictable mutations, damages to the genome and cells of the tree, and changes throughout the life of the tree. Any risk assessment is too short and too narrow, due to the complex and changing interactions trees have with their environment throughout their long lives – including relationships with animals, plants, fungus, the soil, water, and humans. This is especially true in times of environmental stress. For these reasons, impacts of genetically engineering trees are unknown and unknowable.

Unfortunately, once GE trees are released, they can never be contained, as GE pollen can travel 1000s of kilometers. Genetic contamination with other trees will be inevitable and irreversible.

Why did the campaign launch happen at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)?

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), established in 2000, is a high-level advisory body to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. According to the UNPFII website, the Forum was established “with the mandate to deal with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.“ You can learn more about the Permanent Forum on the United Nation’s website.

What was said at the 2024 UNPFII?

While at the 2024 UNPFII, members of the STOP GE Tree campaign spoke with the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples Francisco Calí Tzay, Vice President of Bolivia David Choquehuanca, Minister of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil Sonia Guajajara, Member of Congress of Venezuela Noemi Pocatierra, Member of the UNPFII Vital Bambanze,  and the Delegation from Mexico, among others.

Francisco Calí Tzay, the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples

Francisco Calí Tzay, the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples, warned against “creation of GMO forests” in the Amazon at a high level Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) meeting. At the UNPFII he also insisted that to protect the Amazon and the environment, “we must not allow GMO forests to be created.” He also stressed the need to protect the Amazon and the environment through the titling and demarcation of indigenous territories.

“We must not allow GMO forests to be created.” – Francisco Calí Tzay, UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples

What was said at the 2023 UNPFII?

The following video is of Claire Charlo, a representative from the Indigenous Environmental Network, who spoke out against GE trees during the 2023 UNPFII.

What does the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity recommend?

In 2008, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity recommended a precautionary approach to GE Trees. This is due in part to genetic engineering not  being the same as traditional plant breeding. For example, genetically engineering trees happens in a laboratory and not in nature. It involves manipulating the genetics of a tree using dangerous, unproven technologies that harm the tree in unpredictable ways. Countries signed on to the CBD, including Brazil, should respect the CBD decision to take a precautionary approach to GE trees.

At the 2024 UNPFII, Heather Lee from the Campaign to stop GE Trees denouncing that the Convention on Biological Diversity de facto moratorium against GMO trees is not being respected which threatens the biodiversity of the world.

Heather also spoke with David Cooper, the acting Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as Olivier Rukundo, Head of Peoples and Biodiversity Unit, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, urging them to hold Brazil, a signatory of the CBD, accountable for going against the Convention on Biological Diversity de facto morotorium on GE Trees by approving the commercial planting of GE Trees.

“The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change allows GE trees to be used in carbon credit schemes and REDD+ which are false solutions to climate change that have violated the rights of Indigenous Peoples and harmed Indigenous Peoples.” – Heather Lee, Campaign to STOP GE Trees

Resources

Press Release: available in English and Spanish.

Factsheet (1 page): available in English and Spanish. It will soon be available in French and Portuguese.

Ban Text: available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

• Amenaza de bosques transgénicos en Brasil (Servindi, April 2024)

Servindi is a website specialized in promoting dialogue on topics of indigenous and ecological interest.

• Pueblos indígenas y Relator Especial de la ONU sobre Pueblos Indígenas denuncian emergencia de árboles transgénicos (CNTI, April 2024)

The National Commission of Indigenous Territories (CNTI) is a space for dialogue and consultation between Indigenous Peoples and the National Government of Colombia.

• Pueblos Indígenas denuncian emergencia de árboles transgénicos en Brasil (Notimia, April 2024)

Notimia is an Indigenous and Afro-Descendant women’s news agency.

• KPFA Radio Episode (in full) (April 20, 2024)

KPFA, the first community-supported radio station in the United States, provides diverse programming to address complex issues.

The portion with Heather Lee from the Campaign to STOP GE Trees, can be heard below.