時間對於一個organic-GM和平條約

隨著食品價格和全球估計有8.54億營養不良的人(2006年糧農組織估計),引發了很大的爭論是如何養活不斷增長的世界人口。然而,爭論是不健康的兩極分化。一方麵有機支持者倡導少技術和更傳統的耕作方式,他們承諾將增加產量和減少當前農業不可持續的環境負荷的方法。另一方麵我們有通用的支持者聲稱高產作物的生產技術的能力抵抗害蟲和疾病,並可能幫助農民適應未來氣候的變化。毫不意外,畢竟我們是處理大型企業——包括有機運動,每一方都是促進與近乎宗教狂熱的角落。在這樣的氣候幾乎是不可想象的,有機農業和轉基因技術可能並排坐在一起,甚至可以相互補充。但沒有令人信服的科學證據的危害環境和人類健康沒有理由這兩個曆史敵人不應該和平相處和諧。植物病理學家,帕梅拉·羅納德工作的加州大學戴維斯認為,結合這兩種方法是全球糧食產量的未來。轉基因種子種植使用有機農業方法可顯著提高產量而減少危害環境的化學物質的使用,她說。這個假說是最近發表的結論不同IAASTD(國際農業知識的評估,科學和技術促進發展)報告。 This two year intergovernmental project was designed to investigate the role agricultural science, knowledge and technology can play in reducing world poverty. The report concluded that a complete agricultural revolution is needed where agriculture is no longer thought of as production alone. This was of course music to the organic movement's ears which has been advocating a holistic approach to solve food security for some time. However what was evidently less palatable to some, and has been frankly ignored by others, was the recognition the report gave to the need for new tools, meaning increased investment in agricultural knowledge, science and technology, including biotechnology. Unfortunately this relatively balanced conclusion has not been prominent in the reactions to the IAASTD report. Instead we have seen the usual polarisation of opinions that we have come to expect in this debate. For example the UK-based organic certification body The Soil Association highlighted the recognition the report made of organic agriculture and concluded that it had 'raised doubts as to the GM industry's current claims to be the solution for either poverty, world hunger or climate change'. Tom Wakeford, writing in the Guardian, suggested that as a result of the IAASTD conclusions policy makers should start eating 'GM humble pie'. The public has been proved right, 'GM crops are no panacea', he stated. What seems to be woefully missing from these commentaries is any celebration in the conclusion that GM and organic may complement each other. Indeed, the reactions seem to reflect the belief that collaboration would signal failure, that the war would be lost if one side were to acknowledge the positive qualities of the other. Commenting on the polarisation of the industries (and yes she thinks organic farming is at times no less of a profit hunting big business than GM) Ronald writes: "基因工程和有機農業相互隻需要防止變革性的變化在我們的農場。”有機農業的貢獻方法和轉基因技術可能對未來糧食生產仍然是未知的。然而,很明顯,繼續爭奪霸權不是有用的。賭注很高,是人性和養活自己的能力,將受益於智能,合作討論這個話題。凱蒂鳥是一個科學記者寫新聞媒體出版物在幾個行業相關問題的決定。如果你想要評論這篇文章,請電子郵件凱蒂。鳥在decisionnews.com。