Aggregated News
Britain wants GM food to be grown commercially. After years of encouraging developing countries in Africa and elsewhere to grow them, but unable to allow its own farmers to do so, the environment secretary Owen Paterson has told a major conference that GM can secure countries' food supplies, is good for the public and can help limit climate change.
This is part of a massive PR drive by government, industry and free marketeers to shake off GM's "Frankenfood" image in Britain. But it will resonate deeply in sub-Saharan Africa, where the US and UK governments, industry bodies and seed companies have all been lobbying strongly for GM crops to be grown widely.
Britain is spending around £100m on support for GM crops, supposedly for the world's poor people, while organisations including the Gates foundation, USAid, and the Cgiar network of agricultural research stations are backed by other rich countries to develop the technology.
But despite billions of dollars spent on research by rich countries on feeding hungry people, most developing countries remain suspicious of the claims, or convinced...
This is part of a massive PR drive by government, industry and free marketeers to shake off GM's "Frankenfood" image in Britain. But it will resonate deeply in sub-Saharan Africa, where the US and UK governments, industry bodies and seed companies have all been lobbying strongly for GM crops to be grown widely.
Britain is spending around £100m on support for GM crops, supposedly for the world's poor people, while organisations including the Gates foundation, USAid, and the Cgiar network of agricultural research stations are backed by other rich countries to develop the technology.
But despite billions of dollars spent on research by rich countries on feeding hungry people, most developing countries remain suspicious of the claims, or convinced...