The study "delivers a remarkable snub to "Frankenstein Foods" and the industrialisation of farming while offering a boost to organic and small-scale agriculture."

by By SEAN POULTER

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/new...
excerpt:

Genetically-modified crops are not the solution to spiralling food prices or Third World hunger, according to a powerful international report published yesterday.

Questions remain over their effects on human health and the environment, it warns.

Sixty governments, private industry, scientists, consumer groups and social campaigners have delivered a blueprint for global agriculture for the next 50 years.

It delivers a remarkable snub to "Frankenstein Foods" and the industrialisation of farming while offering a boost to organic and small-scale agriculture.

The authors also warned against the rush to grow crops to be turned into fuel - biofuels - saying this could exacerbate food shortages and price rises.

This represents a direct challenge to government policy in the UK, Europe and the U.S. Publication of the report triggered an international row after the U.S. government, which has attempted to impose GM crops on the world, refused to sign up to the global initiative.

The row carries echoes of the Americans' refusal to sign up to initiatives to tackle global warming.

The International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development has been working for five years to develop a new approach to world food production.

Its director, Professor Robert Watson, said the industrialisation of farming since the Second World War has failed to produce the food needed by the world.

As a result, while the families in the West have plenty to eat, some 850million people around the world go to bed hungry each night.

In recent months, GM companies, trade bodies and associated scientists have issued a deluge of propaganda suggesting biotech crops are the key to feeding the Third World.

Professor Watson and his team made clear that GM or transgenics - moving genes between plant species - was not the solution to providing plentiful cheap food.

He said: "Are transgenics the simple answer to hunger and poverty? I would argue, no."

He said much more research was needed to establish whether they offer benefits and do not harm the environment.

Professor Watson said the industrialisation of agriculture, of which GM is a part, has led to the heavy use of artificial fertilisers and other chemicals.

--elen

quote:

The authors also warned against the rush to grow crops to be turned into fuel - biofuels - saying this could exacerbate food shortages and price rises.

Food prices are already going up as a result of this.

For those that don’t know it, I live in the middle of dry land wheat country. Because of alcohol production to make ethanol the wheat is now selling for an all time, never seen before, record high price. I bet those that live in the corn belt are seeing the same thing happening there too.

yes, Major,
I have to shake my head cuz these days the media are all reporting the rise in food prices, and food riots, and some occasionally do link it to the ethanol production.

But years ago when people first started talking about ethanol, responsible people with foresight were warning that this would happen.

sigh...

ellen

Yes, it is.
Human beings will be killed off by
diseases etc.
There will be less people to feed.
More food will be available for the remaining
Human Beings.
What a way to goo.

Here it is a week past the last frost date in my area and it just started snowing again. There has been an inch in the last half-hour and the temperature has dropped almost 20-degrees. So this isn’t going to help the food supply much either.

I think the biggest problem we all face is just like bill in socal indicated, there are too many people for this planet to support any more and we are in the beginnings of a correction period.