1. Continued industrialisation of agriculture

Many companies are trying to persuade the public that genetic engineering will reduce the use of damaging herbicides, yet these same companies are actually increasing production capacity for the herbicides themselves (1) and requesting permits for higher residues of these chemicals in GE food (2). Until now, most of the research by GE companies has focused on making crops resistant to their own 'broad-spectrum' herbicides. This means that a field can be sprayed with chemicals and nearly all plants will die except for the resistant crop. Out of the 2708 million hectares of genetically engineered crops planted worldwide in 1998, 71% were herbicide-resistant (3). In the US the seeds are sold under a contract which specifies that if farmers save seeds to plant again the following year or use any herbicide other than the company's own, they are likely to be prosecuted (4).

"Biotechnology is being developed with the same vision that promoted chemicals to meet the single, short-term goals of enhanced yields and profit margins. This vision embraces a view of the world characterised by beliefs that nature should be dominated, exploited and forced to yield more; by preferences for simple, quick, immediately profitable 'solutions' to complex ecological problems; by 'reductionist' thinking that analyses complex systems like farming in terms of component parts, rather than as an integrated system; and by a conviction that agricultural success means short-term productivity gains, rather than long-term sustainability."

Jane Rissler (Union of Concerned Scientists) (5)

While genetic engineering continues to be promoted as the only realistic option for feeding the world in the next millennium, the public is responding to the excesses of industrialised farming practices by turning towards organic food (6). This response is not lost on the industry, which has been quick to adopt the image of sustainability. In reality, however, the widespread use of this technology has the potential to threaten the very basis of the ecosystems upon which we depend.

References

1. In September '98 Monsanto announced that it would invest $550 million in Brazil to build a factory producing its herbicide Roundup.
2. Lappe M., Bailey B. (1998) Against the Grain, Common Courage Press, p75-76.
3. James C. (1998) Global Review of Commercialised Transgenic Crops: 1998. ISAAA Briefs No8. ISAAA: Ithaca, NY.
4. Monsanto Company (1998) Monsanto releases seed piracy case settlement details. Press release 12 September 1998.
5. Biotechnology and Pest Control: Quick Fix vs. Sustainable Control Global Pesticide Campaigner, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 1, 6-8, January 1991.
6. Hamm U. (1997) Organic Trade: The potential for growth. In Maxted-Frost (ed.) The future agenda for organic trade - proceedings of the 5th IFOAM international conference on trade in organic products. Tholey-Theley, p. 18-21.