Home Page Link AgBioWorld Home Page
About AgBioWorld Donations Ag-Biotech News Declaration Supporting Agricultural Biotechnology Ag-biotech Info Experts on Agricultural Biotechnology Contact Links Subscribe to AgBioView Home Page

AgBioView Archives

A daily collection of news and commentaries on
ag-biotech.


Subscribe AgBioView Read Archives

Subscribe AgBioView Subscribe

Search AgBioWorld Search Site

Prakash Interviews

AgBioWorld Articles

Other Articles

Biotech and Religion

Media Contacts

Press Releases

Special Topics

Spanish Articles


 

Red Herring - Letter to the Editor

By C.S. Prakash

Stephan Herrera's article on Monsanto and its charismatic CEO, Bob Shapiro, ("Reversal of Fortune," March) provided a balanced perspective on this company in these troubled times when consumers appear to be questioning the value of genetically modified foods.

This consumer backlash is being incited by environmental activists and the organic produce industry through fear tactics and scaremongering that have nothing to do with food safety or environmental concerns. While Monsanto may have erred in reading the European consumer scene, the genetically modified foods, which are subjected to enormous safety tests, are as safe as conventionally produced foods. Genetic modification of crops represents a major tool in improving agricultural productivity around the world, especially in developing countries.

We need to remember that, while Western countries can afford to indulge in the luxury of attacking agricultural biotechnology and its companies, this could eventually do the most harm to the poor in the developing world.