Biotechnology in agriculture is the key to having our cake
>and rain forests too
>
>>snip
>The Europeans are considering a total ban on the use of
>antibiotics in animal feed on grounds that antibiotic residues
>may contribute to the growth of so-called superbugs that "use"
>low doses to become resistant. In fact, the Wall Street Journal
>reported that "EU officials concede that they lack clear
>scientific evidence to link the use of antibiotics in animal feed
>to growing antibiotic resistance in humans." Nevertheless the
>officials invoke a "precautionary principle" to give enormous
>benefit to any doubt in these cases. Productivity in agriculture
>is the cost.
>
>Dennis Avery of the Hudson Institute argues in the July issue of
>World Link Magazine that "neither population growth, urban sprawl
>nor global warming pose nearly as great a threat to the world's
>wildlands as the energetic plows of the low-yield farmers . . .
>Without the higher crop yields achieved with hybrid seeds,
>chemical fertilizers, irrigation and modern pest control, the
>world would already have plowed another 40 million square
>kilometres of wildlands to produce today's food supply." GM foods
>must be the source of another revolution in agricultural
>productivity if we are to prevent the loss of vastly more natural
>land.
>
>Fear of new technology fed by low-productivity agricultural
>interests operating behind high trade barriers threatens not only
>the supply, quality and affordability of food in coming years,
>but the global environment. It is not enough to decry public
>opposition to genetically altered foods and related innovations;
>rational doubts require convincing assurances from public and
>private authorities lest the growing power of science be sadly
>hobbled in expanding fields.
>
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