Are GMO crops a ‘quick fix’ that perpetuate unsustainable agriculture?

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis.

The rational response to any food or farming dilemma is to test and compare different options to see which is most effective as a solution.

Except when it comes to genetic modification (GM). I have yet to hear of a research trial where a newly developed GM crop has been compared with other approaches to address the problem it claims to solve.

If the goal was to identify the most effective solution, this would be very odd – but if the real goal is to find a use for the technology, it makes perfect sense.

. . . .

Previous studies have shown that [the] agroecological approach produces better results than GM in terms of environmental impact, human health and societal benefits; while it has been convincingly argued that using GM varieties does nothing for biodiversity in agriculture.

The conventional corporate model legally obliges chief executives – on behalf of shareholders – to prioritise profits over ethics and sustainability, whatever their personal inclination. It is a manifestation of an underlying mindset.

. . . .

GM is simply a manifestation of the . . . misguided industrial mindset, a mindset that tries to control nature rather than work with it. . . .

Allowing private companies to peddle their wares in the name of development or to ‘feed the world’ is arguably immoral when there are alternatives that can bring much wider benefits.

Read full, original post: Farmers would do better to understand the land than grow GM crops

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