The purpose of this petition is to gather signatures in support for plant scientist Dr. Eddo Rugini. By adding our names here, we the signatories affirm the following:

We believe that research should be allowed to proceed with science-based risk assessment and risk mitigation. While as individuals we may or may not agree with the way genetic engineering is currently being used, and we may or may not agree that it is a technology that should be used at all, we do affirm that careful scientific research is useful and important. We urge the Italian government and officials at the University of Tuscia to reconsider their decision to destroy Dr. Rugini's long term experiment of genetically engineered olive trees, cherry trees, and kiwifruit vines.