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Written by Truth About Trade & Technology
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Monday, 29 September 2008 20:13 |
Farmers Gaurdian
by Alistair Driver
Original Publish Date: September 29, 2008
The amount of genetically modified (GM) crops cultivated across the EU increased by 21 per cent in 2008.
However, the overall acreage covered by biotech crops remains relatively small in Europe as a result of the 10 year moratorium on GM approvals.
Only one GM crop can be grown, a Bt maize approved in 1998 that can defend itself against the European corn borer, a pest present primarily in southern and middle Europe.
In all, GM crops were grown on 107,719 hectares in just seven EU countries in 2008. There was a tenfold increase in Poland and Romania on 2007 and big increases in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
In Spain, where most of the EU’s GM crops are grown, the cultivated acreage increased by 5 per cent.
The figures were released by EuropaBio, the EU biotech industry association. It said 209 biotech crops were under cultivation or development in 46 countries around the world. Many of these crops, after being grown by non-EU farmers, can be imported into Europe and used as food or feed.
Yet the technology has barely got off the ground in Europe. There are currently around 50 products awaiting approval in the EU, 19 of which are for cultivation.
EuropaBio executive director, Nathalie Moll, said: “We are delighted to see that the uptake of biotech crops continues to grow substantially every year in many EU countries even though no new crops have been approved for cultivation since 1998.
“EU farmers are clearly interested in the products of biotechnology. We hope that the EU’s Institutions including the Agriculture Ministers are taking note and will start approving products again in response to their farmers’ needs and the advice of their own safety authority.”
Dr Julian Little, chairman of the UK Agricultural Biotechnology Council (abc) said the figures showed biotech cultivation was going ‘from strength to strength’ across Europe, bringing benefits to thousands of farmers.
“Unfortunately, many farmers in the UK are being robbed of the opportunity to enjoy these same benefits and will continue to be at a disadvantage until the EU gets its act together and starts giving regulatory approval for suitable GM crops to be grown, and until essential scientific field trials of GM crops are protected from unwarranted vandalism,” he said.
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