Gene Foods, Struggling in EU, Don't Live Up to Hype, FOE Says

National Enquirer's preamble:

GI crops primarily benefit the Bio-Engineering companies who develop the seed, because:

• The farmers either aren't allowed by contract to use the seeds grown in the next crop, or more likely is that the seeds are genetically created to not be able to be grown.
  
• Part of the purpose of GI crops is to be resistant to bugs. But the bugs will grow resistance against the resistance. So which company will need to continue to produce seeds that are resistant to those bugs?
  

For our world, which is in severe trouble with climate change and everything that is resulting from that, we can no longer afford to prop up these giant multinational companies whose only purpose is to get richer.

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By Adam Mitchell

Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Gene-altered crops haven't lived up to ``hype'' and or succeeded in winning widespread acceptance, especially in Europe, according to a report published by environmentalist group Friends of the Earth International.

Genetically modified crops have ``failed to boost yields, reduce pesticide use or address challenges faced by farmers,'' today's report says. According to the study, 70 percent of the world's ``large-scale'' plantations are found in just two countries -- Argentina and the U.S.

``Although there have been marginal increases in the areas of transgenic crops grown in Europe, the long-term prospects for GM seeds look bleak,'' the FOE report says. ``Lack of markets, national bans and evidence of environmental damage ensure that one of the world's biggest markets will remain a disaster zone for the biotech industry.''

European Union regulators have approved a number of new bioengineered crops since the end of a 1999-2004 freeze on new approvals, imposed by a ``blocking minority'' of countries in the bloc. Still, popular opposition to the foods remains high and several countries, including Austria, refuse to allow approved crops to be planted, flouting a World Trade Organization ruling last year.

Companies including Monsanto Co., the world's biggest developer of gene-engineered foods, haven't delivered a promised ``second generation'' of products with more useful features, according to the report.

Rich Nations Benefit

``No GM crop on the market today offers benefits to the consumer in terms of quality or price, and to date these crops have done nothing to alleviate hunger or poverty in Africa or elsewhere'' Nnimmo Bassey, a Friends of the Earth analyst in Nigeria, said in an e-mailed statement. ``The great majority of GM crops cultivated today are used as high-priced animal feed to supply rich nations with meat.''


Read the Article.

Also see 10 Years of Continuing Rejection - 18th January 2007