The fact opposition to biotechnology, specifically genetically modified organisms (GMOs), remains as strong as it is nearly 20 years after they were commercialized is confusing and frustrating to this year’s World Food Prize laureates, says Laura Rance in her Winnipeg Free Press column. She writes:
[World Food Prize laureate] Van Montagu said there is a segment of the population that will never accept the technology, and that is their choice. “There are people who believe in horoscopes, there are people who believe that space ships come here. That is not problematic,” he said.But he said the anti-GM movement is paralyzing the ability to develop and deliver new technologies to areas of the world where food security is a pressing issue.
“If you cannot use science in society anymore because of these crazy beliefs, then there is a problem; I would even say there is a war going on that is much more serious than we were thinking before.”
In these scientists’ view, the greatest challenge to feeding the world’s growing population is not finding the science to boost production, it is persuading the public to accept it.
Read the full, original story here: “‘War’ against GM crops worries pioneer in field”
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