New GM debate in UK

[charliep]

My frustration. How do you accomplish that? The
current regulatory cost of bringing new technology
forward limits who can play in the new world. Not
ianben topic but I think Australia does a good job of
it. Public private investments where the public side
maintains an equity stake in all commercialization.

To highlight, my discussion is about research and
investment and not GE crops. I think there are many
interesting new plant breeding technologies ahead.
The common theme is who invests and who benefits.
To further, we aren't going back to where we were
before. Technology and knowledge have changed.
We have a 7 bln people world growing to 9 bln over
the next 30 years who have increasing dietary
expectations ranging from simple survival to a
healthy developed world diet.

[oneoff]

Charlie...Its always worth reonsidering whether "Just because something can be done; doesn't automatically mean that it must/should be done"

Especially when there are instances of being able to legally avoid full responsibility for personal or corporate actions....it becomes a case of what may turn out to be simple recklous abandonment.

[charliep]

I am not sure how to respond. In North America, the
GE technology is widely used for corn, soybeans,
canola and cotton. It has been approved in many
markets including Europe for imports. Europe
imports lots of soybeans and meal. They allow low
level presence of corn and canola with GE traits in
other commodities. GE is likely the most examined
and reviewed technology out there. Every country has
a different review process and it has been approved.

For interest sake, why do you take one side of the
debate on GE and yet another on the use of modern
agriculture techniques?

[grassfarmer]

I'm surprised all the "sound science" supporters
haven't jumped on ianbens last post - the bit about
AI use resulting in more BSE susceptible dairy cows.
I assume he means selecting for increased yields not
AI use per se. None the less I'd love to see the science
that shows a correlation between higher yield and this
specific neurological condition.
I guess when you are on the "for" side you get a free
pass on bs.

[charliep]

Perhaps the point was that emphasizing one trait in plant breeding (eg. yields) and ignoring others (disease suseptability) can result in unintended consequences. Perhaps the issue on fusarium is presense of the pathagon and the right climitic conditions.

[ado089]

Grassfarmer, I don't think those were
inclusive comments. I think linking BSE
to anything is a stretch but I'm no
expert on that subject so I use common
sense and good judgment and stay away
from that topic. As for plant breeding
I do firmly believe that seed companies
will do anything to advertise a 2.5%
yield gain, ignoring the overall
agronomic package, since they have a
spray for that.

Secondly Ianben isn't frequently
slandering us for using the latest best
practices based on current scientific
consensus. He also does not accuse us of
colluding with Monsanto to kill children
and destroy the planet.

Oneoff you are right about, just because
something can be done doesn't mean it
should. The debate comes in when you
start asking who gets to decide?
Farmers, consumers, bio tech companies,
lobby groups? To me if a technology is
proven safe the first three should be
able to sort it out on their own.

[charliep]

What needs to happen to prove a technology safe and at what level of risk acceptance? Are there things that are occurring in the approval process starting here at home with CFIA's approach on plant with novel traits that need to be improved? For what is worth, the science and regulatory approval processes in Europe and here are very similar. What makes Europe on genetic engineering is there is a public consultation and political process within member states and among the entire organization. North America to date has not required this.

[charliep]

I know someone will hit me with Triffid flax and the ongoing investigation of the RR wheat in Oregon. Before you get into the tirade, can you start the conversation with whether this is a market access issue (particularly if low level presense) or an actual food safely issue? What risks do these issues present the consumer?

[grassfarmer]

Yup, free pass it is. Convenient.

[charliep]

What gets a free pass?