London (25.6.08)
– Slowly, ever so slowly in some cases, the British food industry is
waking up to the consequences of the bizarre European Union (and hence British)
policies and regulations on GM foods and crops.
They see that across much of world farmers are gaining advantages from new
technologies largely banned for Europeans while retailers fear approaching
difficulties in sourcing their products (see http://www.cropgen.org/article_135.htmland
http://www.cropgen.org/article_155.html).
It seems the UK farmers via the NFU have been telling major supermarkets that
global shortages are making it extremely expensive and nearly impossible to
source GM-free soya products – and it will get worse as new GM varieties
come onto the global market before they are authorised for import into the
EU. The NFU are suggesting that retailers abandon their GM-free requirements
for all products except so-called “organic” (whose devotees will
presumably pay any price to satisfy their aversion to one particular form
of plant breeding while caring not a jot for others).
Hitherto, Brazil has saved those demanding GM soya for their animal feed but
production there is expected to dwindle. With US soya around 95% GM, and Argentinean
said to be virtually 100%, Brazil, the world’s second largest soya producer,
is expected to increase GM plantings from 54% of its total crop to 65% next
year and 80% over the next decade as the herbicide tolerant genes are inserted
into a wider and wider range of production strains. Already the cost premium
and lack of availability of non-GM soya is making it very difficult indeed
for those who insist on trying to use it.
It’s all a pity really, because GM-soya is patently neither harmful
nor “bad” for the environment as many, any farmers and many millions
of consumers have found out for themselves. But some folks choose to sleep
through reality and are now finding there will be a hefty price to pay.
Source:
Jenny Wiggins (6.6.08). Farmers demand U-turn on GM feed ban. Financial
Times (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0c10e23e-340a-11dd-869b-0000779fd2ac.html)
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