The Grandmothers of Mother Earth lifted their voices at the 7th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues earlier this month at the United Nations, offering their view on a range of issues, including food. Here is a portion of their statement:

“We the Grandmothers of Mother Earth are a grassroots international organization dedicated to affirming and giving voice to the time-honored wisdom of the indigenous peoples, We the Grandmothers understand the power of healing, correcting that which does not serve humankind by voicing from a sacred space that which needs to be corrected for the seven generations to come. Our duty of care has brought us here to deliver the following messages:

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF SWAZILAND

“We would like to bring to your attention the terrible exploitation by donors of food for our peoples. What appears to be generosity and care with regards to food donations and supplies to our land, is a dumping ground for inferior foods. The World Bank appears to offer a solution to the food shortage. The World Bank finances the purchase and supplies of genetically modified food through UN-approved agencies. This food is causing illnesses in our people, especially our children’s DNA. Genetically modified food also carries pesticides. We respectfully request that this shameful practice by the World Bank and its UN-approved donors stop immediately.”