Baby Steps With Biotech

Speaking to the American press in Washington on Feb. 20, Franz Fischler, the European Union's Commissioner for Agriculture, offered this explanation for Europe's seemingly tepid enthusiasm for bioengineered foods.

"The European Commission doesn't say GM (genetically modified food) is evil. We don't say it's unsafe either - the reason why millions of tonnes of scientifically approved GM maize and soya are already being used in the EU. But we believe in giving our consumers a real choice, the reason that labelling GM's as such is so important. Trying to sneak GMOs in through the backdoor, or forcing them down consumers' throat will backfire. It won't foster trust, but distrust among our folks. We are serious about delivering on our international promises. The Commission has just adopted a proposal to authorize imports of so-called BT-11 maize. I am confident that our member states will give their green light soon. And there are more authorisations to come", he concluded.

Posted by hartley at February 23, 2004 01:53 PM | TrackBack