 |
A EuropaBio (Associação
Europeia de Bio-Indústrias) representa cerca de 40
empresas activas em todo o mundo e 18 associações
nacionais que se dedicam às biotecnologias. |
| In support of GM food |
Brussels, 4 October 2002 |
Contrary to what many people believe, GM crops are extensively regulated.
They are tested for allergenicity, toxin levels and nutritious content
as well as undergoing rigorous environmental assessments. It can
be legitimately claimed that GM products sold on the market are
as safe as non-GM. Both the FAO and WHO have made public statements
attesting to this. The European Commission after analysing 81 reports
from 15 years of research on GM crops declared “…the
use of more precise technology and greater regulatory scrutiny probably
make them (i.e. GM crops) even safer than conventional plants and
foods.” http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2001/pr0810en.html
GM crops are grown by 5.5 million farmers world wide and have been
eaten by hundreds of millions of people. There has not been one
documented health problem associated with eating GM crops to date.
Countless studies testify to this. All GM crops, unlike their conventional
counterparts, undergo strict safety and environmental assessments
before they can be sold.
Why
should consumers support GM?
The first generation of biotech crops have direct benefits for farmers
resulting in higher yields on less land with less chemical inputs
and with environmental benefits. GM is a tool to reduce soil erosion
and spraying, making pesticide use more efficient in agriculture.
Ongoing investment by public institutions and private companies
in plant biotechnology could herald products with direct benefits
to consumers like:
- The removal of existing allergens from foods such as peanuts
- Providing more nutritious foods with improved vitamin and amino
acid profiles
- Allowing fruit to ripen longer on the plant before being picked
to improve its flavour
Consumer
choice
Today, Europe has labelling requirements for foods containing GMO
derived ingredients. This will allow consumers a choice whenever
these ingredients will be used on the European market.
However, campaigners hostile to GM technology have prevented farmers
from growing GM crops in Europe and some have even blocked research
by destroying field trials. This hostility has resulted in a de
facto moratorium since 1998 on the commercial planting of GM crops
in Europe.
EuropaBio believes that both farmers and consumers should have the
right to choose what crops they want to grow and which products
they want to buy.
For EU farmers, biotechnology is a tool to protect harvests and
produce food competitively in a global market place, while reducing
soil erosion and spraying. For consumers, it is a tool that can
one day lead to a wider choice of foods by removing allergens and
by adding nutritional benefits.
These benefits can only be achieved by an enabling legislation and
enforceable labelling rules as well as continued support for research.
For more information on biotechnology, visit www.europabio.org
or contact Adeline Farrelly (a.farrelly@europabio.org)
or Hugo Schepens (h.schepens@europabio.org)
at EuropaBio (02 735 03 13).
EuropaBio has almost 40 corporate members operating worldwide and
19 national biotechnology associations representing some 1200 SMEs
involved in research and development, testing, manufacturing and
distribution of biotechnology products. EuropaBio, the voice of
European bioindustries, aims to be a promoting force for biotechnology
and to present its proposals to industry, politicians, regulators,
NGOs, and the public at large. |
