The Rural Development Agency (RDA) released a statement on September 1 declaring its decision to halt its efforts to foster a market for genetically modified crops (GMC).
The Agency came to the decision after carrying out a months-long exchange with regional civic groups that had opposed the RDA’s plans to eventually commercialize the GMC industry.
As part of its agreement with the groups, the Agency will also dissolve the National Center for GM Crops, an enterprise with an estimated 7 to 8 billion won in RDA investments.
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Led by the anti-GMO collective GMO Free Jeonbuk, the civic groups record of opposition to the RDA’s aims began in 2015.
The groups have held press conferences and gatherings in front of the RDA offices as a show of protest.
Their remonstrations intensified in April, when they set up a tent under which a full-fledged sit-in protest eventually provided enough pressure that the RDA started to engage with the dissenters and listen to their demands.
A spokesperson for the RDA said regarding the agreement with the civic groups that it would continue to work closely with the local residents to foster a collaborative partnership.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Rural Development Agency to Halt Commercialization of Genetically Modified Crops
