Genetically Modified Foods

Sir, - Three arguments made by the proponents of GMOs require rebuttal

Sir, - Three arguments made by the proponents of GMOs require rebuttal. It is quite true that genetically modified soya, a constituent of many processed foods, has had no measurable effects on human health. On the other hand, genetically modified potatoes have been linked to unhealthy changes in the gut of young rats. The researcher responsible for leaking/publishing these findings, Dr Puszati, has been blackballed for his pains, which has done little to ease public misgivings.

Genetic engineering is not the same as traditional plant breeding. Genetic engineers introduce characters from fish into tomatoes, for example. Traditional plant breeders select from traits already proved by nature and already present in the particular species of plant. Plant breeders observe natural limits; genetic engineers do not, with unknown consequences.

Genetically modified plants are not the key to feeding the world's hungry. Pesticide-resistant plants are failures from the start as they are part of a strategy or philosophy doomed from the beginning. While the present energy-intensive, chemical-intensive and capital-intensive agricultural programme has temporarily increased the earth's crop yields, it is maintaining them at unconscionable cost and cannot possibly maintain them for long.

The truth, conveniently ignored by many, is that intensive agriculture has reached the end of the line. The energy (essentially oil), which gives it its life-blood and drives the global system which distributes its products, is drying up as the overall demand outstrips the rate at which new reserves are discovered and brought on stream. Water too is in short supply in many places where the deep-mining of water has seriously depleted underground aquifers. These reserves - like the reserves of oil, incidentally - will not regenerate for millions of years. Even the world climate system no longer delivers water dependably, most likely because of the pillage of energy reserves.

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Intensive agriculture imposes an unsustainable burden on energy supplies, on reserves of water, on the soil and on the debt-carrying capacity of poorer nations. In light of this it is specious to talk about hi-tech solutions to world hunger. GMOs, if they do anything at all, are likely to compound the damage intensive agriculture has already done to traditional, resilient, energy-efficient and variegated patterns of agriculture which have proved sustainable over millennia. Yours, etc.,

Ned Bright, Cooragannive, Skibbereen, Co Cork.