Letter: GM crops by Belinda Groenewald

An article on Genetically Modified (GM) crops appeared in the Monday Paper dated 19 March 2007(V.26, no. 3). Being neither a scientist or academic, it's difficult for me to write a 'well-rounded' letter which speaks to all or most aspects of this project. A basic internet search, though, will reveal that GM produced crops are detrimental for human and animal consumption and for the earth. Even if one uses the argument that GM produced crops will supply an abundance of foods and eradicate poverty and malnutrition, this is incorrect since our supermarket shelves are presently filled to overflowing with all varieties of foods, but still poor and unemployed people do not have the necessary cash to purchase these.

It won't be long before the Monsanto GM giant gets in on the act and offers huge amounts of money for further research and who would be able to resist. The result of this will be exactly what is happening in other countries i.e. control of the food supply by a few big corporations; farmers will need to purchase all future seeds as GM produce do not yield seeds; super weed killer will only be available from the companies who sells the GM seeds.

The need to research Genetically Modified produce would be unnecessary if institutions turned their attention to researching and improving organic farming methods and the spin off from this could be a healthy population, free from the 21st century diseases, like obesity, diabetes, cancers and all the niggling, ever present illnesses which we, the public have to accept as our fate.

A movie called THE FUTURE OF FOOD which is screened from time to time at the Labia gives one an interesting, life changing insight into the battle for control of the worlds food supply, and the impact of this on the individual.

Belinda Groenewald