Great summary critique of the big ag companies. I particularly appreciated this bit:
How, he demanded to know in his slow and charming Texas drawl, looking me in the eye, could I possibly question GMO technology when it was so clearly needed to feed the world?
That gave me the opportunity to deliver my critique of GMOs. After 25 years of R&D and 16 years in the field, the industry has so far delivered precisely two widely used traits: herbicide resistance (Roundup Ready) and pesticide expression (Bt). The first has already failed, and the second is showing signs of coming undone. Meanwhile, the so-called complex traits—crops that use less water or nitrogen—clearly aren't working. Moreover, despite all the "feed the world" rhetoric, GMOs have so far succeeded in boosting crop yields only marginally. GMOs have been a magnificent success in the marketplace, I declared, but what had they succeeded at? Mainly, I charged, at generating profits for a few big companies in the form of licensing fees and herbicide sales.
There are some very important GMO success stories out there, particularly disease resistance (Hawaiian papayas) and more/better nutrition (golden rice), so we shouldn't throw the GMO baby out with the Monsanto bathwater, but there is a clear need for better oversight over the kinds of modifications that are allowed in the marketplace.
What Do the World's Most Powerful Pesticide Honchos Eat for Dinner?
In a surreal twist, I found myself breaking bread with and publicly addressing reps from the very companies I'm always writing about.
via Plus Public Activity Feed for Marlow Weston https://plus.google.com/114347423852608167600/posts/eHNh7QJjbpr
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