Hugh Ashton
Majirox News
TOKYO (majirox news) — Genetically modified crops and organisms (GM and GMOs), according to their promoters, offer greater efficiency in production, resistance against disease and pests, and overall greater profitability for all.
On the face of it, this would seem to be ideal for all involved: farmers, food processing companies, and consumers. Inside the United States, according to some sources, GMOs now comprise two-thirds of the crops grown.
However, there is significant opposition to the introduction of such biotechnology outside the US, especially in Japan, the EU, and Australasia (in 2008, according to the UK’s Soil Association, the use of GMOs had cost the US $12 billion in lost exports since 1999). One company, Monsanto, has a large stake in this aspect of agribusiness, but has recently suffered a setback, in that the British government has recently released the results of three studies on the effects of GMOs, wherein lasting damage to the environment is predicted if GMOs are introduced.
Read More: Will TPP open the door to Frankenstein food in Japan?
Cartoon by Bob Moran
