Press release
GM crops not the answer to our food challenges
3 January 2013
Commenting on Environment Secretary Owen Paterson's assertion at the Oxford Farming Conference today (3 January 2012) that the British public should be persuaded of the benefits of genetically modified food, Friends of the Earth's senior food and farming campaigner Clare Oxborrow said:
"GM crops are not the solution to the food challenges we face. They are largely being developed to benefit multinational biotech firms that are gaining control of the seed industry, not to feed poor people in developing countries.
"World food production needs a radical overhaul, but this should be based on less intensive practices that increase agricultural diversity, deliver resilience to the impacts of climate change and benefit local communities.
"We must also switch to more sustainable diets globally, including reducing meat-consumption in wealthy nations and an end to food crops being used for biofuels."
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Friends of the Earth's new briefing on GM crops and Food Security is available to read here:
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jan 2013
