The Guardian on Genetically Modified Food
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 6.08
The Guardian's normally intelligent and balanced Sunday Observer spilled a lot of ink over genetically modified food. But unlike North America, at least they have a debate, we just get served. Here are a few links:
The war over GM is back. Is the truth any clearer?Genetically modified foods were sidelined in Britain 10 years ago amid a furious assault on 'Frankenstein foods'. Now climate change and world hunger have placed them back on the agenda. The ferocious debate is again splitting the science, political and environmental communities. But, asks Observer food expert Jay Rayner, what's the real truth about GM? ::More
Scare stories have drowned out the good that GM could do Acres of newsprint and hours of television have been devoted to the GM crop controversy - quite an achievement for a foodstuff that is grown in no significant quantities in this country, or for that matter in this continent. Britain, like the rest of Europe, was long ago frightened away from producing and eating GM food by a media campaign that has been based mainly on hearsay and only marginally on science. ::more
Editorial:
Let science, not fear, be the judge of GM crops The argument over GM crops is changing. They may not be a panacea in combating famine, but their development has the potential to save lives. We cannot know the scale of that potential without allowing researchers the freedom to experiment with the technology. Our judgment of GM must be led by science, not irrational fear and vandalism. ::More
Charles, a very modern Marie Antoinette In the second half of the 18th century, a craze for authenticity swept European elites. Discerning people preferred sincerity to cleverness, the natural to the sophisticated, as they revolted against the cold scientific discoveries of the Enlightenment. Rousseau's praise for the honest virtues of simple peasants moved Marie Antoinette. She ordered architects to design the Hameau de la Reine in the grounds of Petit Trianon at Versailles and filled the surrounding fields with tame cows for the ladies of the court to milk with churns made of Sèvres porcelain. ::More
And see the Photo Essay on GM crops around the world.
Go to our Survey: Do You Support Genetically Modified Food?
More on GM (the crops, not the car) in Treehugger:
Saying No To Genetically Modified Foods In Japan
GM Food Debates Heats Up with Global Warming
Iowa Presidential Primary Making GM Food Labeling A Campaign Issue ...
Food Shortage Pulls Genetically Modified Grains Into Formerly ...
Germany Approves "GM-Free" Label
Quote of the Day: David Suzuki on Genetically Engineered Crops
They are Playing With Our Food Again
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'Sidelined' - no; detested - yes.
Monsanto has a terrible history of creating products that ravage nature; GM is just the latest - and potentially the worst - incarnation of destruction of nature for short term profit.
We've seen what that has done to Wall St - we shouldn't let Monsanto do it to food production.
Regardless of the outcome of arguments around food security, food safety and the loss of crop diversity, GM crops lead to further consolidation of power into a small # of companies like Monsanto. Monopolies are detestable, but monopolies on life, a self-propagating system, are more dangerous.
Do not sacrifice nominal yield gains for more intensified monopolies. It will end up costing the consumers and farmers more.