Kerala not to go ahead with GM seed trials

Kerala Agriculture Minister has reiterated the State government stand against field trials of GM seeds.  Addressing the “National Summit on GM Crops,” the Minister said the decision not to allow field trials would protect Kerala’s spices which had a large market in European countries that were opposed to GM crops and food.  He quoted the M.S. Swaminathan Committee report which had opposed GM trials in biodiversity hotspots of the Western Ghats and the Himalayas. At the same timethe Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs called for a detailed study on the impact of GM crops on farmers and consumers.

It is non-GM Crops which feed the world

A new analysis was carried out by GM Freeze, non-GM crops provide most of the food and animal feed in the world, covering more than 97% of agricultural land compared to only 2.4%  GM crops grown and not 25% which was claimed earlier by some media reports. The analysis showed that even in the US, where GM crops have been widely adopted, over 85% of agricultural land is growing non-GM crops and two thirds of arable land grew non-GM crops in 2007. The analysis also raised concerns about the dominance of Monsanto’s GM RR soya.

Experts warn against GM wheat

Greenpeace has accused the biotechnology industry of using the drought as an opportunity to foist GE crops on a justifiably suspicious public. According to a Greenpeace campaigner GM wheat is not grown commercially anywhere in the world nor accepted by any market, which is why even major GM crop producers such as the US and Canada have rejected it. Consumers simply do not want GE in their daily bread – and with good reason – there is growing evidence that GE crops are harmful to the environment and may be harmful to human health. The biotechnology industry thinks it can use drought tolerant GE crops to overcome consumer resistance to GE crops. However there are better techniques to develop drought tolerant crops that don’t pose the same unacceptable risk to human health and the environment.

Agriculture and industrial biotech key to meeting demand for food, fuel

According to an expert representing the Biotechnology industry, biotech companies will deliver the next big advancements in agricultural productivity and energy security, rural economic growth and a more sustainable biobased infrastructure. This was conveyed during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the relationship between US renewable fuels policy and food prices. In his statement to the Committee, Huttner emphasized the role of agri biotech and industrial biotech  to increase yields of agricultural crops and other biomass crops for both food and biofuels and to commercialize second and third generation cellulosic biofuels.

UK’s research body backs GM food

Scotland’s leading crop research institute--  The Scottish Crop Research Institute-- said recently that GM harvests could play a crucial role in feeding a growing planet and welcomed calls for a debate on the issue. According to the chief executive of the institute there should be an informed debate about GM technology. The SCRI said that GM technology could play a vital role in insuring a stable and healthy food supply. However a recent UN report, produced by over 400 of the world’s leading scientists acknowledged that GE crops are highly controversial and will not play a substantial role in addressing the key problems of climate change, biodiversity loss, hunger and poverty