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GM: Learning the Lessons from America.
Tom Feilden reports. |
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Growing genetically modified crops in the US and Canada has been an economic and environmental disaster. That's the verdict of a new report assessing the impact of growing GM soya, maize and oil seed rape published by the Soil Association.
It puts the bill to the US economy at 12 billion dollars in lost exports, lower prices, increased farm subsidies and environmental damage. The report raises important questions about the promise held out for biotechnology.
The Soil Association report, 'Seeds of Doubt', paints a bleak picture of disappointing profits, low yields, lost export markets, increased reliance on herbicides, widespread contamination of non-GM crops and a proliferation of lawsuits as the recriminations fly.
Perhaps the most worrying finding for the Soil Association has been the widespread contamination of organic crops like canola or oil seed rape with GM varieties.
A decision on whether to allow GM crops to be grown commercially in the UK will be made next year. And with agriculture still languishing in economic crisis, many farmers are hoping biotechnology can offer them a way out.
The lesson of this report is that a genetically modified future might not be quite so bright after all.
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