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Originally posted by chavos
The 3rd world needs to get its act together on GM foods though...that's the other part of the equation in my mind. they're worried about it contaminating their food...but the science is not really that new. Extensive cross breeding and selection isn't really that different from outright genetic modifcation. and if its going to feed more mouths, screw the prejuidices and fears....
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I think the other reason they're worried about GM foods is because they're concerned about the dependence that might develop. Although Monsanto agreed not to sell their "one-shot" seeds (seeds that develop into sterile plants that you can't use to re-seed next year's crops, so you have to buy from Monsanto every year) this kind of thinking betrays the predatory relationship that could develop. There are also some pretty legitimate concerns about testing the GM seeds, particularly those with built-in herbicide and insecticide properties, in the field where they're going to be used to make sure that they don't cross-pollinate with any of the local plants that could then take over the crops. It's not just a question of "is the food safe" but also about how this is going to affect sustainable agricultural practices in the future. Otherwise, I agree with you - a lot of GM foods could be used to alleviate a lot of unnecessary hunger in the 3rd world.
However, until you make it profitable for farmers in these countries to grow their own food domestically - and not have to compete against artificially lowered prices offered by subsidized U.S. and European imports - there's no real incentive to farm locally, let alone develop export agriculture. GM, or no.