LET THE MARKET DECIDE

Bush accuses Europe of betraying starving Africa (Roland Watson and Tom Baldwin, June 24, 2003, Times of London)

EUROPE is prolonging starvation in Africa by refusing to allow the import of genetically modified foods, President Bush said
yesterday.

He urged Brussels to lift the ban and said it was the special responsibility of developed nations “to combat hunger and disease in desperate lands”.

Speaking before tomorrow’s EU-US summit in Washington, Mr Bush said that the ban, which costs American farmers hundreds of millions of dollars in lost exports, was unfounded and unscientific.

It prevented African farmers from importing the food technology, which could help to make crops resistant to disease while boosting yield, for fear that the produce would be cut out of overseas markets. “For the sake of a continent threatened by famine, I urge the European governments to end their opposition to biotechnolgy,” he said.

Europe’s opposition to GM foods has undermined confidence in the products in the developing world, particularly Africa. However, India has undertaken experiments with genetically modified cotton, and this month decided to feed “nutritionally enhanced” GM potatoes to
children.

Here's the beauty of the EU's oh so principled stand. Let a couple markets like India and China open to GM food and the Euros will be tripping over each other trying to get it planted. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 24, 2003 9:25 AM