Scotland bans GM crops

[Harrowby Hall]

How is it affected by our current superior non GMO farming methods?

But GMO has always been around. Where do you think Fresian cows came from?

It's just that modern technology has enabled us to speed up the process somewhat.

[jeremyp]

How is it affected by our current superior non GMO farming methods?

But GMU has always been around. Where do you think Fresian cows came from?

It's just that modern technology has enabled us to speed up the process somewhat.

Which is why people shouldn't freak out about GMO just because the idea is new.

[Udayana]

Specialist seed: As far as I know these are not protected and growers can continue growing crops year after year and even continue cross breeding with other varieties. So the industry remains relatively small scale. This is not true for most GM crops where seed sterility methods can be used to ensure transgenic crops cannot be propagated.

Other advanced methods: Don't know, but expect that sometimes there have been disastrous consequences for some 3rd world producers, either leading to market collapse, hence fairtrade initiatives, or environmental disasters due to inappropriate use of fertilizers, pesticides or weedkillers, even change of land use.

The point is that as each new GMO has to be individually approved all predictable consequences should be taken into account and information can be made available so that consumers can make their own choices.

[L.A.]

Dearie me, ludicrous decision.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-33833958

Hostage to fortune if ever there was one - just when the rest of the world were starting to realise that GM crops are going to be one of our vital tools against climate change.

[jeremyp]

Specialist seed: As far as I know these are not protected and growers can continue growing crops year after year and even continue cross breeding with other varieties. So the industry remains relatively small scale. This is not true for most GM crops where seed sterility methods can be used to ensure transgenic crops cannot be propagated.

Generally speaking, people do not reuse seed year after year.  The traits they want rarely (and this is particularly true of GMO seed) breed true.

[Jack Knave]

The problem with GM crops is that they come with a patents, intellectual property rights, and once those genes get into other plants they can't be used without paying royalties. The whole issue of the control of the people by the elites, and controlling access to food becomes a dangerous issue and a concern.

Spot-on, Jack.

It's already been refuted.

What has?

[Jack Knave]

It's already been refuted.

Unfortunately, many third-world farmers' experience is otherwise, jeremy.  I accept that this may be to do with unscrupulous suppliers ripping the farmers off.

And there's the rub - EU law protects people and their livelihoods to a degree, not allowing the GM companies to claim rights over your work via stealth.

In third world nations - where these crops are more desperately needed - more corrupt regimes are happy to take back-handers from multinationals to rewrite their own laws to the detriment of their people.

Those claims have been refuted in the EU, but EU law doesn't hold sway everywhere.

TTIP, by implication, will open up the world markets to a rush to the lowest common denominator - the least regulated regime will set the standard to which companies will operate. Until and unless specific requirements on health and safety law, product safety and good practice in power generation and manufacturing are agreed as part of the arrangement, it'd be criminal to accept it - unfortunately, I fear we're regressing, and it will go through.

O.

Another good post, O.

[Jack Knave]

But what are the details? How will US GMO producers make money from their "inventions" if they can't patent genes?

How do specialist seed suppliers make money from their "inventions" now?

I believe they patent the methods for inserting or modifying particular sequences which effectively has the same effect.

What you believe is of no consequence.  What actually happens is what matters.

How will the rest of the world outside the EU be affected by over-production of US or EU GM products?

How is it affected by our current superior non GMO farming methods?

And how do we judge about what will happen? How do we safeguard our own backyard, Jeremy?

[Jack Knave]

How is it affected by our current superior non GMO farming methods?

But GMO has always been around. Where do you think Fresian cows came from?

It's just that modern technology has enabled us to speed up the process somewhat.

But Frisian cows don't have a patent on them, anyone can breed them and use them once they have been paid for.