A Biotechnology Manifesto European Union Must Read

The European Association for Bioindustries has unveiled a Green Biotechnology Manifesto, which spells out the road map for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) adoption in Europe.

Released at a biotechnology gathering in Lyons, France, organized by BioVision, an international platform that fosters dialogue, debates and proposals in Life Sciences, the manifesto underscores the importance of agricultural or “green” biotechnology to Europe.

It calls on Europe to rethink its stand on agricultural biotechnology noting that, “planting [of genetically modified crops] in Europe has been much slower, but is accelerating as farmers start realizing the benefits of biotech crops.”

“Biotechnology is being exploited at an accelerating rate by Europe’s competitors, but if allowed to flourish, it will contribute to the increased economic and environmental sustainability of European agriculture and to efforts to ensure world food stocks keep up with rising demand,” Adds the manifesto.

Perhaps, the most interesting observation one can make from this manifesto is its call on Europe to respect other countries’ freedoms to grow and trade in genetically modified commodities.

“New biotech products and crops continue to be approved, cultivated and commercialized at a higher speed and in greater numbers in other parts of the world such as North America, South America, Asia, and South Africa,” It observes, adding, “…the EU (European Union) does not permit any presence of biotech material, approved outside the EU, to be present in traded commodities entering the EU.”

I have repeatedly pointed out in this blog that Europe needs to put its act together on GMOs. Europe’s current anti-GMOs policies hurt farmers in developing countries more than it does its own. As the manifesto notes, the EU strictly prohibits agricultural imports containing minutest of GMOs. What this means is that most developing countries won’t dare touch GMOs for fear of losing lucrative European markets for their agricultural products. By default, the EU has barred them from growing genetically modified crops.

This is unfair, to say the least. The EU accords member countries flexibility to grow or not to grow genetically modified crops. They’re even free to trade their biotech agricultural products within the EU block unhindered. And the EU won’t object if they donate, as relief aid, some of their surplus biotech food to developing countries. In fact, the European Commission (EC), the EU’s executive organ, itself, hauls tones and tones of food, some of it biotech, to poor countries, “to feed the hungry and malnourished.”

So, it seems that it’s alright for developing countries to be recipients of biotech food originating from EU countries, but it’s unacceptable for them to grow their own biotech crops. This is hypocrisy and demonstrates how the EU is least interested in promoting sustainable development programs in poor countries.

It’s every farmer’s solemn right, whether in Europe, Africa, Asia, or America, to experiment on new agricultural technologies such as biotechnology. Farmers especially in Africa are ginned to embrace GMOs as is evidenced in this video.

I must mention that unfair laws, such as the ones being maintained by the EU, should never be allowed to stifle farmers’ right to cultivate genetically modified crops.