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| Czech researchers support growing GM plants |
Czech Scientists Want to Dispel Myths about Genetically Modified Crops
June 17, 2009
Decisions about growing genetically modified (GM) plants should be based on good science, not politics. This is one of the most important messages of a White Book released by Czech scientists during the Czech Republic’s EU Presidency.
Czech scientists working with GM crops summarized their experience and analyzed relevant EU legislation, pointing out that the risks and benefits of the GM crops must be considered side-by-side with those of other techniques serving the same purpose. For example, the fiscal and environmental costs of insecticide use in raising traditional crops must be factored in.
“Scientific evidence and practical experience demonstrate that GM crops thus far commercialized bring considerable economic benefits to farmers and are environmentally friendly. Despite the favorable experience overseas, the use of GM crops in the EU is a subject of disputes,” writes František Sehnal, Director of the Biology Centre ASCR.
GM’s opponents argue that the crops endanger the environment, while GM’s proponents caution that dismissing a modern technology endangers the EU’s competitiveness. Aware of the problem, the European Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to review current EU legislation on GM crops. The Council of Environment Ministers that convened in December 2008 invited Member States to ensure full participation of their competent scientific bodies in the consultation EFSA will undertake during the revision process, by offering their contribution on the project within the required time frame.
The book has been prepared in the framework of an EU project called MOBITAG and is published by the Biology Centre ASCR.
The scientists’ White Book makes the following recommendations to policy makers:
- Decisions about genetic modifications should not contradict scientific evidence.
- Breeding techniques, including GM, should primarily be evaluated with respect to the outcome rather than the process.
- Agricultural innovations should be driven by a serious and robust risk/benefit analysis rather than by an overly cautious blanket approach.
- Risk assessments should include comparisons of the benefits and drawbacks of parallel technologies (e.g. GM crops, traditional agriculture with pesticide use, and organic farming with permitted plant protection measures) that attempt to accomplish the same goals.
- Economic assessments should feature similar comparisons of parallel technologies.
- If EU Member states are allowed to ban technology permitted elsewhere in the EU, they should also be allowed to use technologies the EU has yet to approve provided they do not impinge on other Member states.
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