No ill health effects, potential to reduce farming costs

Rome (AsiaNews/AP) – The United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has released a major report in favor of genetically modified (GM) crops, stating that they reduce small farmers' costs and have some environmental benefits, with no ill effects found on health.  

The report, "Agricultural Biotechnology: Meeting the Needs of the Poor?" which was released Monday May 17th, stated that the only problem with biotech farming so far, is that it has not yet reached the world's poor farmers and has focused mainly on crops of most use to large commercial interests.

Yet the technology continues to face suspicion in some European and African countries, where opponents of GM foods say the crops pose unknown health risks and environmental risks, and only serve to benefit multi-national corporations that could develop and sell GM seeds. The report addresses this saying that, "It is the producers and consumers who are reaping the largest share of the economic benefits."

The report laments however that basic food crops for the poor have received little attention from scientists in their research, mentioning cassava, potato, rice, and wheat.  According to the FAO, 99 percent of the land planted with the GM crops (maize, soybean, canola and cotton) last year was in only six countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, South Africa and the United States, and were engineered for only two traits, insect resistance and herbicide tolerance.

The UN report says that those GM products currently on the market pose no threat to health. Instead, it said some GM crops, especially insect-resistant cotton,  "are yielding significant economic gains to small farmers."

Scientists agree that more testing is needed to assess further environmental consequences of biotech farming, particularly if the modified genes are passed to wild species.

Though the report is likely to be met with criticism from the anti-biotech camp, it gave an altogether positive vote on GM technology, stating that the resulting reduction in pesticides and toxic herbicides could have "demonstrable health benefits" for farm workers.

 

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