THE EUROPEAN Union has removed the last technical barrier to imports of genetically modified canola, marking another small advance in the acceptance of this science.
It has been a good year for GM crop advocates.
An annual study conducted by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) shows 13.3 million farmers in 25 countries planted 309 million acres of biotech crops last year.
That is a 9.4 percent increase over 2007.
There were several notable developments. Australia began commercial production of GM canola. India surpassed Canada as the country with the fourth largest acreage of GM crops.
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GM crops were introduced to Africa for the first time and in South America production spread to Bolivia.
China and India fund large GM crop research programs to ensure they will have the technology to feed their billions.
ISAAA forecasts continued growth, predicting that by the end of the second decade of GM crop production in 2015, there will be 494 million acres of biotech crops grown in about 40 countries.
All this indicates modest but important government acceptance of scientific evidence that, if used properly, GM crops can be cultivated and eaten safely.
It marks a diminishing of the political pandering to fear represented by blanket rejections of GM crops.
But it likely does not represent a diminution in the campaign against GM food by certain advocates of environmentalism, third world development and the slow food movement.
They will continue as powerful participants in the battle to influence public perceptions regarding genetically altered food.
Often, their criticisms about GM crops are not about the science, which is proven safe, but associated things like the power of corporate concentration, heaping costs on poor farmers in developing countries or the potential dangers in mismanaging GM crops.
These secondary issues should not block the new science. They are like saying the internet should be banned because big companies dominate its development, only people with money can fully participate or minds can be polluted by the trash carried on some sites.
Proponents of GM crops, be they the corporations that produce them or the farmers who like to grow them, can help calm consumer fears by addressing these peripheral criticisms.
Farmers can rotate GM systems to avoid development of herbicide resistance.
Companies can press forward with the next generation of GM crops, improving drought tolerance or nutrition, traits more appealing to the public than herbicide tolerance.
They should share their knowledge with public researchers and try to make their improved seeds affordable.
By so doing, they will help to ensure that the majority of public opinion supports the concept of genetically altering crops.
As world population grows and living standards rise, more food will be needed. To meet this goal, it is important to use all the tools in the kitbag to boost yields and keep food affordable.
Bruce Dyck, Terry Fries, Barb Glen, D’Arce McMillan and Ken Zacharias collaborate in the writing of Western Producer editorials.
