May 15/00 / Reuters / By Julie Vorman
WASHINGTON - Ernest Micek, the chairman of Cargill Inc was cited as telling a globalization conference sponsored by the Economic Strategy Institute Monday that while some American consumers are raising concerns about genetically modified foods, they are ignoring the safety risks of organically grown corn, soybeans and other grains, and that the debate over the safety of biofoods has been dominated by "anti-science" activists in wealthy nations.
Micek was cited as saying that organic farming, which some environmental groups have suggested as an alternative to biofoods, is not a "panacea" to solve the world's hunger, adding, "There is some evidence that food grown organically is not as healthy as food grown using conventional, high-yield agriculture, including biotechnology. Organic fields suffer higher levels of rodent and pest damage, which create openings for fungi to attack the grains. Fungi produce toxins, including aflatoxin, one of the most potent of carcinogens."
The story says that organic farmers typically shun most chemicals, preferring to use animal manure for fertilizer and insect predators to control pests. They contend their methods are safer, more natural and preserve the fertility of the land.
Micek was further cited as saying that at most, organically-grown crops can feed 4 billion people, or two-thirds of the current global population, adding, "There is nothing romantic about keeping people poor and undernourished. An anti-science sentiment has been allowed to dominate the (biofoods) debate."
Micek added there was no need for U.S. regulators to require labels on snack foods, puddings, salad dressings, and other foods made with gene-spliced ingredients and that labels already carry more information than consumers can digest, stating, "I don't see where that's going to help. We support the action the Food and Drug Administration has taken."
Linda Horton, the FDA's director of international agreements, was cited as saying the agency based its actions on science, adding, "What we try to do is have requirements for scientific assessments that are rigorous and transparent. It's going to be very important for consumers to see the benefits of genetically modified foods."
Rebecca Goldburg, senior scientist with Environmental Defense, was cited as saying that agribusinesses' rush to embrace biotechnology as a way to feed the developing world ignored other, complicated issues and that biofoods "might be some small part of the solution," but nations must still address food distribution systems, water scarcity, population growth and infrastructure. "Many of the benefits of the technology -- while they may be there -- are often overblown, Goldburg said.:
