Thirteen nations — Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, Paraguay, Uruguay, the United States and Vietnam – signed a statement supporting genetically modified food at a World Trade Organization biotechnology committee meeting in Geneva this week.
"We welcome the International Statement on Agricultural Applications of Precision Biotechnology," Nauert said. "The US Department of State will continue to engage foreign governments, industry, and consumers through our embassies abroad on these important technologies."
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Genetically Modified Food is restricted in Europe and Russia, and is opposed by environmental advocacy groups in the United States, where the technique is widely used on grains. Opponents fear genetic modification of food threatens consumers with unintended adverse health consequences while food producers claim the process is safe.