GM Potatoes to Be Grown in Ireland by Teagasc :The GM Debate

[C. Flower]

Teagasc are going to be growing genetically modified potatoes, in order to test their impact on the environment.

This reminds me somewhat of the engineer who gave the plant at Chernobyl a good poke to see how it coped with a crisis.

http://www.communicatescience.eu/201...n-ireland.html

Do people think that there is too much alarmism about genetically modified plants, or are the stakes so high that we need to be very careful?

[Richardbouvet]

I think that regardless of whether or not GM really is a good or bad thing, it is crucial that all irish food can be sold on the world market as GM free. If we can do that, our food industry will clean up. if we don't, our food will be considered no better than anyone else's.

[eamo]

I think that regardless of whether or not GM really is a good or bad thing, it is crucial that all irish food can be sold on the world market as GM free. If we can do that, our food industry will clean up. if we don't, our food will be considered no better than anyone else's.

+100

We don't seem to be able to see beyond Foreign Direct Investment in this country.
Our own advantages like fertile land, great climate, unpolluted rivers, still (just about) productive fishing grounds are scorned. If it is not high-tec. we don't seem to rate it.
Other advantages like a low population density and general agreement on what is "good" and "bad" behavior are seen as a handicap to be thrown away asap.
Where will it all end I ask myself

[PaddyJoe]

A remarkably uncritical piece from IT Science Editor Dick Ahlstrom today reporting on a speech by the senior adviser on biotechnology to US secretary of state Hillary Clinton at UCD.
Chap by the name of Jack Bobo.

IRELAND COULD lose out if it rejects genetic modification technology. It could cause damage economically and to our reputation for research, the senior adviser on biotechnology to US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has said.

“Ireland has the most to lose if it rejects this technology,” he said. It would have to pay much more for non-GM animal feeds, something that would increase costs to farming and therefore to the economy. Food producers also depend on imported GM soya beans for protein.

Dismissing a technology that was highly regulated and based on solid science could also impact on our research reputation abroad. “Ireland is seen as a country that is an innovator,” he said. Rejecting GM could undermine that.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...320380976.html

This US 'senior adviser on biotechnology' appear to be a shill for Monsanto judging by a US Embassy cable on his visit to Hungary in 2009:

SUBJECT: BIOTECH OUTREACH TO HUNGARY: VISIT OF JACK BOBO,
MARCH 12-13, 2009

1. (SBU) Summary: DOS Senior Biotech Advisor Jack Bobo
conducted biotech outreach to Hungary during his March 9-13
visit. Bobo attended the CODEX Alimentarius Meeting in
Balatonalmadi March 9-11. He then proceeded to Budapest for
briefings with FCS and American biotech firms Monsanto and
Pioneer, followed by outreach meetings with the Ministry of
Agriculture and the Parliament,s Agricultural Committee.
Although the Hungarians show no signs of changing their minds
anytime soon about the ban on biotech corn variety MON810 in
Hungary, Bobo did have the opportunity to respond to the
Hungarian arguments with U.S. views

¶6. (U) Melinda Kiss, staff writer for important Hungarian
business daily Napi Gazdasag, interviewed Bobo on March 13.
Napi Gazdasag has published balanced articles on
biotechnology, especially the MON810 corn that the Hungarian
public is concerned about. The article should come out on
March 20.

COMMENT
-------

¶7. (SBU) Although we don,t expect any dramatic changes in
the Hungarian position in the short term, we are hopeful that
a steady stream of carefully orchestrated outreach of this
type will eventually wear down Hungary,s resistance to
lifting the biotech ban. End comment.

¶8. (U) Jack Bobo cleared this cable.
Foley

http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable...=09BUDAPEST210

[Priz]

I see that Earth Open Source have a new report out titled "GMO Myths and Truths".

Interesting read.

[fluffybiscuits]

I think that regardless of whether or not GM really is a good or bad thing, it is crucial that all irish food can be sold on the world market as GM free. If we can do that, our food industry will clean up. if we don't, our food will be considered no better than anyone else's.

I think we are going to bury our heads in the sand if we do ignore the GM foods. The world is changing as is the needs of the people of the world. Tough areas where there is very little chance of growing anything could be used to grow drought resistance crops if the right genes can be identified. The big worry is that there may be escapees coming out across fields and being cross contaminants. Its another avenue we could look at certainly could be a way of creating a co op to grow such crops which we could then use .

[Count Bobulescu]

ADM, Cargill, and Monsanto, the biggest US GM crop/feed producers now make non GM product available at a higher price. So much of what they now produce 70-80% is GM, that non-GM is now treated as a premium niche, like organically grown food. Their argument is that GM provides higher yields and a more predictable product, with the blessing of the US Govt. The controversy appears to have disappeared off the radar in the US.

Research by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology has shown that in 2005 Americans' knowledge of genetically modified foods and animals continues to remain low, and their opinions reflect that they are particularly uncomfortable with animal cloning. In one instance of consumer confusion, DNA Plant Technology's Fish tomato transgenic organism was conflated with Calgene's Flavr Savr transgenic food product.[153] The Pew survey also showed that despite continuing concerns about GM foods, American consumers do not support banning new uses of the technology, but rather seek an active role from regulators to ensure that new products are safe.[154]

Only 2% of Britons were said to be "happy to eat GM foods", and more than half of Britons were against GM foods being available to the public, according to a 2003 study.[155] However a 2009 review article of European consumer polls concluded that opposition to GMOs in Europe has been gradually decreasing.[156] Approximately half of European consumers accepted gene technology, particularly when benefits for consumers and for the environment could be linked to GMO products. 80 % of respondents did not cite the application of GMOs in agriculture as a significant environmental problem. Many consumers seem unafraid of health risks from GMO products and most European consumers did not actively avoid GMO products while shopping.

[C. Flower]

The EPA has granted permission for the trials, subject to conditions.

http://www.epa.ie/whatwedo/licensing/gmo/fieldtrial/

It appears we are to throw away the obvious opportunity that Ireland has as an agricultural island to occupy a niche as a premium GM free producer - and of course, we are taking on the risks of unknown intervention in nature - the idea that it is possible to isolate and confine seed when growing in an open natural environment is self-delusion at its worst.

http://www.teagasc.ie/news/2012/201202-27.asp

[bernadette]

If GM crops are grown here it will be a disaster from the pov of the huge organic foods market we could have. We are not, to a large extent, one of those countries whose agriculture has been so industrialised.

[riposte]

Teagasc are going to be growing genetically modified potatoes, in order to test their impact on the environment.

This reminds me somewhat of the engineer who gave the plant at Chernobyl a good poke to see how it coped with a crisis.

http://www.communicatescience.eu/201...n-ireland.html

Do people think that there is too much alarmism about genetically modified plants, or are the stakes so high that we need to be very careful?

What I want to know is .... will they taste any better? In recent years potatoes have lost all taste. Where have all the balls of fluff gone?

[Richardbouvet]

I agree with other posters. We are blowing a huge chance to acquire a priceless market niche as a GM free producer. It is not about the goods and bads of GM, it is about a market opportunity that can never come again.

[PaddyJoe]

A remarkably uncritical piece from IT Science Editor Dick Ahlstrom today reporting on a speech by the senior adviser on biotechnology to US secretary of state Hillary Clinton at UCD.
Chap by the name of Jack Bobo.


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...320380976.html

This US 'senior adviser on biotechnology' appear to be a shill for Monsanto judging by a US Embassy cable on his visit to Hungary in 2009:



http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable...=09BUDAPEST210

Ain't that a coincidence. Monsanto's man arrives in Dublin to knock a couple of heads together and a week later the project gets permission to go ahead

[Count Bobulescu]

When people lament the failure to develop an “organic” as opposed to non-GM food industry, I wonder if they consider, the UK aside, one of the drawbacks for Ireland in attempting to develop an extensive “organic” food sector is that the often shorter shelf life of organically grown food is not conducive to the longer supply chain lead times of an export market. To say nothing of the often 50% or greater product cost.

“Organic” is still very much a niche market globally, with different certification rules pertaining in different markets. For example if Kerrygold produced it’s butter and cheese to European “organic” certification standards, it could not market them in the US, one of it’s largest export markets as “organic” and v.v. It’s one of the reasons why companies will locate a production facility overseas.

[fluffybiscuits]

What I want to know is .... will they taste any better? In recent years potatoes have lost all taste. Where have all the balls of fluff gone?

caught up in me trousers....

[fluffybiscuits]

The EPA has granted permission for the trials, subject to conditions.

http://www.epa.ie/whatwedo/licensing/gmo/fieldtrial/

It appears we are to throw away the obvious opportunity that Ireland has as an agricultural island to occupy a niche as a premium GM free producer - and of course, we are taking on the risks of unknown intervention in nature - the idea that it is possible to isolate and confine seed when growing in an open natural environment is self-delusion at its worst.

http://www.teagasc.ie/news/2012/201202-27.asp

Crops of potatoes here though are resistant to blight as they are crossed with strong strains or treated with copper sulphate. There is the chance of a rogue gene escaping into the wild but what effect would this have? It would be negligble as it would have to be something that would effectively be dangerous and cross contaminate in big numbers. Industrialisation is already interfering in the evolution of animals and plants in the world as things stand (see the peppered moth as a classic example of how pollution changed its evolution). GM crops have a lot of potential, they do need safe guards but there is too much hysteria over how dangerous they are.