REGINA – Food that’s safe enough for North Americans is safe enough for people in lesser developed countries, says a senior Egyptian government official.
But Hassan Khedr, Egypt’s minister of supply and internal trade, said his view is not necessarily shared by consumers in Third World countries.
He told an international grains conference last week that uneasiness over the use of genetically modified crops is not strictly a North American or European phenomenon.
Some lesser developed countries fear they may be used as a dumping ground for products that are deemed unsafe for consumers in the rich western nations.
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“How can we avoid being used as guinea pigs?”
Khedr warned grain exporters that biotechnology is more than a scientific issue, and said developed countries must balance corporate profits against moral issues.
“Many fear that technological advances simply mean the rich will become richer,” he said.
In an interview later, Khedr said he sees no need for consumers in lesser developed countries to be concerned about genetically modified food that is being sold on grocery store shelves in advanced industrialized countries.
“In my judgment they would not be doing this before they are sure they have been subject to intensive testing.”
He characterized European rules prohibiting the import of some GM food from North America as trade disputes rather than legitimate disagreements over science and technology.
And he emphasized that Egypt, the world’s second biggest grain importer, is not opposed to the use of biotechnology to boost production of crops and livestock.
“It is a new technology that is very important and very useful, that can actually enhance productivity,” he said.
“We just need to be sure there is empirical testing to ensure it does not harm health. Once we are sure of this, OK.”
Hardly a speech went by during the two-day conference without some reference to biotechnology and GM food.
Delegates heard a glowing description of the benefits of biotech from Maurice Delage, president and chief executive officer of Aventis CropScience.
With the world’s population expected to nearly double to 8.5 billion by 2025, biotechnology is crucial to produce the food needed to meet the specific market demand.
He acknowledged the industry was remiss in not realizing earlier that there would be consumer backlash.
Part of the problem, he said, is that biotechnology and genetic engineering is a complex, difficult science and consumers feel they have been given no choices.
Antonio Berhongaray, minister of agriculture for Argentina, said that in his country producers have benefited from GMOs through reduced costs and increased yields, while consumers have shown no particular unease with the new science.
