From: Mark Collins (me@thisisnurgle.org.uk)
Date: Fri Aug 02 2002 - 04:28:38 MDT
[Hermit]
> It is clear that GMF is good for industrialized nations, without it, the
> increased quantities and costs of fuels, fertilizes, pesticides and losses,
> food prices would soar. This can already be seen in the premium paid for
> non-GMF foodstuffs. In addition, the much higher levels of input chemicals
> required by traditional farming practice result in much higher biosphere
> impact.
[Nurgle]
Actually, I think the "premium" on organic foodstuffs is artificial, as the
organic foods tend to be grown by small-scale farmers who don't have huge
expenses. They generally don't use many fertlizers, employ many farm hands
and sell direct to the retailers.
[Jake]
> I must agree completely with Hermit's points. I would also like to point
> out the double meaning of the subject line "starve or eat GMF?" Quite
> literally a choice that all humans will make. As E.O. Wilson pointed out
> earlier this year in Sci.Am. humanity has begun the process of passing
> through the bottleneck. We have placed ourselves in a population situation
> in which we will have to implement more and more biotechnology to simply
> avoid massive starvation. I have never understood this GMF paranoia
> kookiness. It reminds me of those people who still believe that HIV does
> not cause AIDS.
[Nurgle]
There is no world-wide food shortage. The problems are logistical (i.e.
insufficiant infrastructure to deliver the food where it is needed most), and
GM will not change that, unless you can genetically engineer a tree to
deliver the food for us.
The only way genetic engineering can help food shortages in third-world
countries is the modify the crops to allow them to grow in more hostile
conditions. Of course, this would require the corporations selling the crops
not to try and ask for more than the farmers can afford, which is probably
pretty unlikely.
I am not saying GM crops are required, as it has been shown that cash crops
can grow in areas that have suffered sever desertification.
I do, however, agree that the GM paranoia is silly.
-- === Mark 'Nurgle' Collins http://www.thisisnurgle.org.uk Stupid IRC quote of the <variable time period>: <phoenix> insider, you'll have to excuse nurgle, he's the epitamy of evil
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