Postby SoilAssociation » Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:26 pm
Hello folks,
A few things to say about this interesting discussion going on. Patrick’s comments seem to have been taken wildly out of context by some – which is irritating, and detracts from the real issues at hand. More troubling however is that it seems that the GM companies’ multi-million PR machine has captured the imagination of some who should know better, resurrecting myths about the miracle crops that have been ‘just around the corner’ for well over a decade, while distorting the facts on GM crops’ performance so far.
So much is covered on this forum I won’t be able to cover everything, but want to say a quick word to clarify our position on why organic offers a sustainable solution to food and farming.
The GM companies like to give the impression that food produced from GM crops is widespread, but the truth is rather different. The area of land in on which GM crops are being grown is only 2.7% of all agricultural land world wide. A very small proportion of GM crops go directly to feed people, with most going into animal feed, biofuels, or to produce cotton. GM crops weren’t designed to feed the world, but to extend the profitability of the pesticide companies producing them. So it is no surprise that there is evidence to show GM crops can have at best the same and in many cases lower yields than non-GM crops.
Rather than reducing dependency on fertiliser and herbicides, as the GM lobby are keen to suggest, GM crops actually increase farmers’ reliance on these products. No GM crops are grown without fertiliser. GM crops have been responsible for an increase of 380 million pounds of herbicide use in the USA over the first 13 years of commercial use of GM crops (1996-2008). Over-reliance on particular chemicals, such as glyphosate, has speeded up the development of herbicide resistant ‘superweeds’ that are devastating crops across America.
The challenges farming now faces are the increasing scarcity and price of oil and the need to cut greenhouse gases emissions by 80% before 2050. Rather than burning up oil and gas for the agrochemicals on which GM crops are reliant, the future of food production lies in systems that fertilise crops by taking nitrogen from the air using energy from the sun, as in organic farming. Organic farming has been shown to contribute to food security in Africa where food yields have more than doubled where organic practices have been used, and bringing other benefits for water supply, biodiversity and the fertility of the soil.
We already have the tools at our disposal to tackle many of the problems that climate change and resource constraints are presenting. The IAASTD report by 400 scientists and chaired by Defra’s chief scientist concluded that a shift to more agro-ecological techniques (such as organic) would be beneficial to achieve secure and sustainable food production for the world’s population, while GM crops were in no way essential to feed the world. Rather than being fooled by the same old claims from the GM companies, we would do better to invest in the less exciting, but well proven approaches that will enable the world’s farmers to reliably produce nutritious food with the resources available to them.
Organic food and farming is the first step for anyone taking climate change seriously, alongside a shift to less and mainly grass-fed meat and dairy products, with more seasonal fruit and vegetables. As oil and gas becomes scarcer and more expensive, the resulting higher cost of Nitrogen fertiliser will make organic food, relying on solar power for fertility, cheaper than non-organic.
Organic farming sequesters carbon in the soil and cuts out energy-intensive fertiliser manufacture. The Government's Climate Change act has committed the UK to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with a 34% cut by 2030. To come anywhere near meeting these targets we must make fundamental changes to the way we farm, process, distribute, prepare and eat our food over the next 20 years. Organic farming offers the best, currently available, practical model for addressing climate-friendly food production. This is because it sequesters higher levels of carbon in the soil, is less dependent on oil-based fertilisers and pesticides and confers resilience in the face of climatic extremes. If we are serious about tackling climate change all of us; Government, industry and the public alike; need to get serious about supporting organic and sustainable agriculture. Business as usual is no longer an option.
I hope this helps,
Georgia
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