Reports

Biotechnology

Cristina Jiménez

Corresponsal London

Transgenics versus organic agriculture

Transgenics, yes or no? In the United Kingdom, a country where biological agriculture is very successful and where investigation of genetically manipulated seeds is especially powerful, the controversy is served.

19 November 2009

Cristina Jiménez, London

Photo: Yesica

The most recent one is due to a report presented by the Royal Society in October. The Royal Society, the oldest scientific organization in the world, called for an investment of two million pounds as part of a research program on global food safety, called Grand Challenge. In the report, the Royal Society calls on the UK to lead investigation efforts in this field in order to achieve massive increase in production of crops that are destined to feed a world population that is growing exponentially.

According to the Royal Society, it would be necessary to increase agricultural production by at least 50% to meet the food demands of nearly 9,000 million people that will be living on the planet in the year 2050, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). All this, without putting the environment in danger, of course. The report emphasizes on the need for a change of food habits by the consumer, such as not eating fruits that come from the other side of the planet. It also recognizes the problem of major plantations due to a growing scarcity of water and farmlands.

One of the solutions proposed by the entity is to increase the efficiency of the crops, and it mentions genetic manipulation of vegetable species as one of the most efficient measures to achieve it. For this, the roll of biology, and especially biotechnological progresses paid with public money, must play a key role in enhancing the crop production in a sustainable way.

In this sense of sustainability, the report emphasizes that agricultural production methods must respect the environment and preserve natural resources, as well as support and respect the lifestyles of farmers and rural habitats.

Controversies

Not everybody agrees with the measures proposed by the Royal Society. The Soil Association, one of Britain’s most active ecological associations, has put the outcry after the publication of the report. According to the organization, genetically modified plants are part of the past. A spokesman of the association told the BBC that over more than two decades a great amount of promises have been made about the potential of genetic modification to help feed the part of the world that is starving, but none of these have been met yet.

The Soil Association suggests that the molecular marker assisted selection (MAS), is the technique that is really introducing new innovations in the more efficient crop production. While the Royal Society report mentions this technique, the ecologist group complains that it is not getting the preponderance it needs. The MAS technique is a process that uses a marker (morphological, biochemical or a variation based on DNA/RNA) for an indirect selection of genetic determinants with interesting characteristics, such as productivity, disease resistance or quality.

The Soil Association reports that there is scientific evidence that proves that simple systems, such as organic agriculture, can produce sustainable solutions to ensure food safety. The International Assessment of agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) report, published in April 2008 with the participation of more than 400 scientists and endorsed by 60 countries (including the UK), advocated organic farming and agro ecological techniques as part of a radical change in the way the world produces food. According to the entity, the Royal Society report does not gather enough proposals from the IAASTD, even if the British Government agreed to this report.

In the US there have been two cases in which court federals have banned genetically modified crops, because they impeded the farmer’s right to grow plants that had not been manipulated. According to the Soil Association, crops like these could destroy ecological agriculture in the UK. By contrast, the Royal society sees them as a tool to increase production efficiency.

What will be the best for the future of food for a growing world population? Using all the tools in the right way? Maybe.

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