Darcorian
12-09-2004, 16:38
An article from Saturday's Irish Independent
GM crops 'crucial to meeting soaring world food demands'
Saturday September 11th 2004
THE use of genetic modification will be a crucial element in feeding the world's soaring population, an Agricultural Science Association conference in Waterford was told yesterday.
Humans will consume twice as much food in the next 50 years as in the whole history of civilisation, as the population rises 50pc, but the amount of agricultural land falls by two-thirds, said Dr Clive James of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.
GM technology was not a panacea or a silver bullet to meet increasing food demands, but it had to be part of the solution, he said.
Some seven million farmers now grow GM crops on 70m hectares of land - 10 times as much as Ireland's total land area - since the technology was introduced on a commercial basis eight years ago, Dr James said.
The US, Argentina and Canada are the biggest growers of GM crops, but around 30pc of all GM crops are now grown in developing countries.
There were concerns about corporate ownership of GM technology, but China was set to become the biggest public investor in such biotechnology.
GM technology had doubled crop productivity in some areas where it was grown and it had a beneficial environmental impact by reducing the need for pesticides to be used, as well as reducing the amount of land that had to be cleared for cultivation and stopping soil erosion.
Dr James's organisation is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to provide biotechnology to developing countries. It is supported by philanthropic organisations, aid agencies and the private sector, including agri-giant Monsanto. The acreage of GM crops grown is expected to increase by 50pc in the next five years, with Russia, Hungary, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Pakistan and Malaysia expected to be major users, Dr James said.
But the industry had done a lousy job in communicating the risks and benefits of GM technology, he said. The most significant pollutant in the world today was poverty, yet GM crops had already helped to increase income in countries where they were used.
Aideen Sheehan
Agriculture Correspondent
Any comments? Good or bad thing???
GM crops 'crucial to meeting soaring world food demands'
Saturday September 11th 2004
THE use of genetic modification will be a crucial element in feeding the world's soaring population, an Agricultural Science Association conference in Waterford was told yesterday.
Humans will consume twice as much food in the next 50 years as in the whole history of civilisation, as the population rises 50pc, but the amount of agricultural land falls by two-thirds, said Dr Clive James of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.
GM technology was not a panacea or a silver bullet to meet increasing food demands, but it had to be part of the solution, he said.
Some seven million farmers now grow GM crops on 70m hectares of land - 10 times as much as Ireland's total land area - since the technology was introduced on a commercial basis eight years ago, Dr James said.
The US, Argentina and Canada are the biggest growers of GM crops, but around 30pc of all GM crops are now grown in developing countries.
There were concerns about corporate ownership of GM technology, but China was set to become the biggest public investor in such biotechnology.
GM technology had doubled crop productivity in some areas where it was grown and it had a beneficial environmental impact by reducing the need for pesticides to be used, as well as reducing the amount of land that had to be cleared for cultivation and stopping soil erosion.
Dr James's organisation is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to provide biotechnology to developing countries. It is supported by philanthropic organisations, aid agencies and the private sector, including agri-giant Monsanto. The acreage of GM crops grown is expected to increase by 50pc in the next five years, with Russia, Hungary, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Pakistan and Malaysia expected to be major users, Dr James said.
But the industry had done a lousy job in communicating the risks and benefits of GM technology, he said. The most significant pollutant in the world today was poverty, yet GM crops had already helped to increase income in countries where they were used.
Aideen Sheehan
Agriculture Correspondent
Any comments? Good or bad thing???