Don’t be fooled by the biotech charm offensive
GM crops are not the saviours their makers claim they are.
A recent opinion article (“A method to its madness”, 4 February) exposes the European Commission’s “quiet and methodical” approval of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
In fact, with 38 GM varieties approved, Europe is narrowing the gap with Canada (96) and the US (89) in terms of the number of crops authorised, and is well ahead of China (26), Brazil (19), Argentina (14), Russia (4) and India (3).
Not content with this result, the biotech industry is on a major charm offensive to improve its image and sell more products, filling advertising space with promises to solve hunger, poverty and climate change. These promises carry about the same weight as a beauty queen’s commitment to world peace. In fact, they are blatant lies. After two decades of research and several billion euros invested, there are no GM crops that increase yields, let alone resist the effects of climate change, such as drought or floods.
Despite the Commission’s efforts to promote GMOs, the public is understandably worried about the effects of genetic engineering on the food we eat, and EU member states pay closer attention to scientific concerns about long-term effects on the environment and health.
Scientific research has demonstrated that conventional breeding and new strands of biotechnology that can speed up the processes of natural selection are already successful in creating crops resistant to drought and floods, without the risks of genetic engineering. And modern ecological farming that encourages crop diversity further increases overall plant resilience to extreme weather conditions.
A combination of these practices could help feed millions of people.
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From:
Marco Contiero
EU agriculture policy director
Greenpeace
Brussels