Experts are stressing that those involved in the sale of food products containing GMOs should be penalized. A Member of the Azerbaijan Parliament and Head of the Research Institute on Human Rights, Ayten Mustafayeva, says not only that those who are involved in the sale of GMOs should be fined, but so should those who are responsible for importing them into countries.

Azerbaijan is a small country near Georgia and Russia, but it makes a big statement. Work is underway there to tighten provisions in the draft laws on GMOs that would indeed fine those who try to bring them into the country. This is similar to Russia, which has completely banned GMOs while placing a moratorium on their imports for 10 years.

Ayten Mustafayeva stresses:

“It is difficult to prevent the import of products containing GMOs, but we must do it. Residents should know whether the products they purchase contain GMOs or not. Information about products that contain GMOs must be showed on the label. Over time, we will completely prevent the importation of such products to Azerbaijan.”

Currently, the laws in Azerbaijan allow entrepreneurs to sell GMOs without penalty, but the committee said that products containing GMOs will all at least be labeled to make that fact known.

Azerbaijan is a soil-rich country with nine of the 11 existing climate zones, which makes it an ideal market for GMOs.

Since 2011, the country has had a law on protection and effective usage of genetic resources, which bans import, zoning,and entering the state register of the GMOs. But thus far, those who have been caught importing GMOs have faced no ramifications.

Experts believe that modified products are widely spread in the country, and seek to eradicate this phenomenon with penalties for those who are still selling GMO seed.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and GMOs

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights holds several articles that should make the distributors of GMO foods take notice.

Among them are Article 1; that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. (Notice it does not say that all corporations are created with the right to stomp all over human rights in the pursuit of profits or ulterior motives.)

Article 5; that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. (Notice there is no mention of the right to a slow death via chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, and other carcinogens that corporations are allowed to sell en masse in tandem with genetically modified seed)

Then there is Article 7: that all are equal before the law. . . (Again, notice it does not say that large corporations like Monsanto should be able to legally bully their products into our marketplace when an overwhelming percentage of citizens around the world say they want GMOs labeled, if not banned.)

It is time for the world to really think about what kind of effects GMOs can have on the planet.