The following is an excerpt.
Europe needs to embrace genetically engineered crops or face economic decline, according to a group of scientists from Spain.
The European Union is unique in the world for its strong stance against genetically modified organisms, primarily based upon concerns over potential health risks and environmental contamination. But many scientists say the opposition to GM crops isbased more on fear than evidence; one recent attention-grabbing paper from French researchers linking GM corn to tumors has been criticized by independent groups as scientifically flawed.
“Europe’s lack of trust in GMOs reflects a wider distrust of science,” Louise Fresco, a University of Amsterdam professor and a former United Nations assistant director general for agriculture, wrote in the journal Science in February. “Europeans tend to romanticize the pre-modern past, unaware of the suffering and food scarcity associated with low crop yields.”
View the original article here: EU GMO Policy Paradox: Farmers Can’t Plant GM Corn, But It Can Be Imported
