Indonesia: Agriculture Minister calls for acceptance of GMOs

Indonesia must adopt genetically modified crops if the world’s fourth-most-populous nation wants to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples like corn, a senior agriculture official said.

Corn imports into Southeast Asia’s largest economy are rising rapidly as improved wealth levels drive poultry demand, and are forecast to nearly double this year to 2.8 million tons.

Indonesia set a goal after food prices surged five years ago to be able to feed itself in soy, beef, corn, rice and white sugar by 2014, but the policy is being softened amid signs the targets are a long way off.

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“In Indonesia, we are still not allowed to implement [GMO],” Deputy Agriculture Minister Rusman Heriawan told Reuters late on Wednesday. “Using the GMO will increase our production more. That’s the only one solution we have.”

Read the full, original story here: “Indonesia Agriculture Ministry Argues Case for GMO Foods”