Genetically Modified Crops Are The Key To Human Survival, Says UK's Chief Scientist

The Observer, Sunday 23 January 2011
Sir John Beddington argues that moves to block GM crops on moral grounds are no longer sustainable

"Genetically modified crops are the key to human survival, says UK's chief scientistSir John Beddington argues that moves to block GM crops on moral grounds are no longer sustainable."

"Moves to block cultivation of genetically modified crops in the developing world can no longer be tolerated on ethical or moral grounds, the government's chief scientist, Sir John Beddington, has warned. He said the world faced "a perfect storm" of issues that could lead to widespread food shortages and public unrest over the next few decades. His warning comes in the wake of food riots in north Africa and rising global concern about mounting food prices."

Source: www.guardian.co.uk...

The article continues:

"He emphasised the role of modern biotechnological techniques, including GM crops, in the future of global food production. "There will be no silver bullet, but it is very hard to see how it would be remotely sensible to justify not using new technologies such as GM. Just look at the problems that the world faces: water shortages and salination of existing water supplies, for example. GM crops should be able to deal with that."


What do you think ATS members, do you agree or disagree with his position?

reply to post by manta78


As is so often the case, the genuine underlying problem is overpopulation of the Earth. Trying to eliminate symptoms rather than curing the actual problem is just a delaying tactic that can go on for too long and result in missing the DEADline. More food? More energy? More cultivation? Notice that we are having animal extinctions due to their lack of wild lands? The bees are disappearing. The fish are being depleted. Deforestation. Drought and less water for everyone. More pollution, more starvation. But bringing up population control is politically incorrect. The Lifeboat only holds so many people before it can no longer stay afloat. Blinders may help you stay focused, but not necessarily on the right object or objective.

Absolutely... if you are a rich psychopath who wants to enslave the human population and reduce the population under 500,000 as published on the Georgia Guidestones.

GMO breaks down DNA and cause infertility within three generations of lab animals. link

It killed the cows that ate it in India and crop failures and under-yields have driven 125,000 Indians to commit suicide! ats thread

reply to post by jaxnmarko


THERE IS NO OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM!

what there is, is to many of us to control

as for food :

yes, people like this are the problem [to TPTB that is]


pay no attention to pseudoscientists cum politicians

food riots caused by kissingers genocide plan for africa.

this is nothing more than problem-reaction-solution

GMO foods are great.

Done correctly and modified in the proper way, GMO foods could potentially solve world hunger.

However GMO foods as they today with suicide genes and the pesticide markers etc.. Are literally poisoning us and our fertile farm lands year after year.

I'm in FULL support of GMO foods, done the proper way. Not this Monsanto junk.

~Keeper

These factors that could lead to a food shortage are purely man made, primarily from improper managment of resources and minerals. Food can be grown literally anywhere for rather cheap.

And for the "rising food prices" those are also man made. Does anyone recall farming subsidizing where the government pays farmers not to produce the maximum potentail of food in order to control the price. Monsanto and the FDA created these prexisting conditions, it's a giant and global triangle schem.

It is a shame. look at what we've been able to do but look at what we have become.

A good place to start on GMO foods is a book called "The world according to Monsanto"

It's pretty damn scary.

Another good one is "Stolen Harvest" which is the story of how India went from a diverse, healthy and thriving local food culture to a monolithic monoculture disaster of widespread famine and suicide.

If you believe in GMO's then you may not have all of the available information. Do some serious reading and study before you jump on that bandwagon folks. Once GMO's get out there isn't a way to turn them back. Every species of corn, soybean and rapeseed (canola) in the developed countries has at least a few percent of GMO genes in every non GMO species. GMO's are like an uncontrollable virus that mutates unpredictably and spreads uncontrollably. The ones creating these things CAN NOT CONTROLL THEM.

Once again. Once they control your food, they control you. GMO's are a legal route to taking away your individual right to grow your own food. On top of that, they are in essence alien organisms in an unprepared ecosystem.

reply to post by elfulanozutan0


Or the use of corn for ethanol. Saw a service station the other day with a large sign in the window, we don't sell gasoline made with ethanol, never have, never will; if you don't like it, go elsewhere.

reply to post by DerepentLEstranger


I have to agree with you. Star from me. I have not found any GMO food solution that approaches the productivity of aquaponics. I have been studying this for some time now and the fact that you could get 1 million pounds of food per year from a 3 acre plot is clearly superior to that gross tampering with mother nature that passes for biotech now days. They splice bacterium genes or fly DNA into tomatoes or such monstrosities. I would not knowingly or willingly eat this garbage and would certainly not feed it to children.

reply to post by wayouttheredude


yeah, those behind all this are no longer human beings in my book, if they ever were in the 1st place.

as Einstein's lesser know quote states "greed kills"

FDA Approves Nonexistent Product from Nonexistent Company for Human Testing

oh and they are trying every dirty trick in the book

The USDA’s Organic Deception

on the bright side we are either all becoming more aware, they are really really scared of something and are getting careless, or a combination of both

Corporate profits seem to be left out of this scientist's equation. Just because you make more food doesn't mean companies will start giving it to the impoverished.

Who is this Sir John Beddington guy and what are his credentials (apart from being knighted apparently)? I'm willing to bet he is just some pompous and arrogant royal arse of a GMO shill. If this guy would live on only GMO foods for the rest of his life as a case study, I might give him some credit, otherwise he should keep his GMO pie-hole shut and go back to watching Dr. Who. I wonder if his British sensibilities would allow him to consume GMO tea at tea time? How about GMO fish and chips? We all know what direction the UK is going in and I don't want to follow. We were pissed enough to kick the redcoats out of our colony over less dangerous issues, we shouldn't be following their lead now.

"Of course, we will have to make sure these crops are properly tested; that they work; that they don't harm people; and that they don't harm the environment." They already test GMOs and ignore the negative results and hide the associated dangers from the public.