Genetically modified crops – Christian Aid’s concerns /06.02
Christian Aid and the GM crops debate
Christian Aid’s role in the debate on genetically modified (GM) crops is to look at the issues from the point of view of the interests of the poor in developing countries, particularly poor farmers and consumers and their communities.
Selling suicide: farming, false promises and genetic engineering in developing countries (May 1999), Christian Aid’s previous contribution to the debate, played a major part in getting developing countries’ and poor farmers’ issues in relation to GM onto the public, media and political agenda here in the UK. It showed how a handful of GM corporations were gaining increasing control over the global food system and raised questions about the technology itself. It was, inevitably, controversial.
GM crops continue to be the subject of controversy, in the UK and across the world. It is this controversy, and the reasons for it, which justifies Christian Aid’s call for a moratorium on commercial applications of GM crops in the food system. This will give time for the issues to be further researched, discussed, agreed and implemented, not only at the national level but globally.
Christian Aid’s concerns
Christian Aid is concerned about the implications and possible effects of GM crops on developing countries, and on poor farmers and their communities in those countries in particular. On the one hand, many of the promised or envisaged benefits of GM crops could prove to be highly beneficial to poor farmers, and could help developing countries meet their future needs for food:
• increased drought resistance could enable crops to be grown on unirrigated and currently marginal lands and reduce reliance on scarce water supplies;
• engineered pest resistance could reduce reliance on expensive and environmentally damaging chemical pesticides, both in the growing and in the storage of crops;
• engineering the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen into crops such as cereals could reduce or even remove the need for chemical fertilisers and increase yields.
The possibilities appear to be almost unlimited. On the other hand, it is not at all clear whether such benefits can or will be delivered without accompanying and unacceptable costs, in terms of the technology itself or in terms of how it is controlled. Nor is it clear what the balance of benefits and costs might be, or, most importantly, for whom.
Christian Aid’s concerns are that:
• Too much power and control over the world’s agriculture and food system is ending up in the hands of too few and purely commercial interests. In terms of ownership, control and regulation, the current situation and direction is unacceptable and dangerous.
• Too little is yet known about the possible environmental or ecological and health effects of GM crops, particularly in developing country situations. In terms of the technology and the science behind it, the jury is still out.
• Too little opportunity, time and assistance are being given to developing countries to debate and decide for themselves and to build the capacity to test and control GM crops. Commercial and other interests are in danger of overriding public concern, democratic decision-making and local control.
In other words, GM crops have been and are being introduced too quickly and there is need for a pause. Christian Aid has therefore joined other development, as well as environment and consumer groups in the UK (see The Five Year Freeze Campaign www.fiveyearfreeze.org ) and similar groups in other countries, in calling for a moratorium on the commercial application of GM crops in the food system. This would give time for the issues to be further researched, discussed, agreed and implemented, not only at the national level but globally.
Christian Aid is also concerned that too little is being done to help small farmers grow food in sustainable ways appropriate to their and their communities’ circumstances and needs. Hunger and malnutrition are unlikely to be addressed adequately unless local food security and the needs of the poor are prioritised.
Conclusions
Christian Aid will continue to:
• argue against increasing corporate control of agriculture and the global food supply.
• urge caution in the introduction of GM crops before adequate scientific understanding is achieved.
• press for time for adequate debate and for democratic decision-making and local control in developing countries.
• press for (and provide) more support to small farmers in developing countries so that they can grow food in sustainable ways appropriate to their and their communities’ circumstances and needs.