Melbourne, Australia, two weeks ago, hosted a major conference on agricultural biotechnology. There were delegates from all over the world.

 

Perhaps, the one delegate who caught my eye was Professor Jenifer Thomson of South Africa. I have just been reading a post on Prof. Thomson’s speech in Gmo Food For Thought Blog (http://www.gmofoodforthought.com/2006/08/biotechnology_can_feed_people.htm#more).

 

Prof Thomson chairs the prestigious the Kenyan-based African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). She is an expert in agricultural biotechnology.

 

In her address, she railed at European countries for their obstructionist behavior with regard to genetically modified food. Prof Thomson criticized European countries for enacting policies that have effectively made it difficult for African countries to cultivate genetically modified crops. For example, there is a policy that bars beef products from livestock that have been fed on genetically modified crops.

 

Europe being Africa’s main beef products market, no country would dare touch genetically modified crops. While this happens, Europe, itself, is busy selectively admitting genetically modified crops.

 

As Prof. Thomson puts it, the rules of the game must change now. Europe should discard laws that prevent African countries from experimenting on genetically modified crops. This is the best way to wean Africa from relief food syndrome.

The European Union only cares about its own farmers (and their votes). If Africa adopted GMO technology on a large scale, the world market would soon be flooded with food that's economically much more competitive than that produced within Europe. So they continue making a scare of GMO food in the name of public health, when all they're doing is just economic protectionism.

The European Union only cares about its own farmers (and their votes). If Africa adopted GMO technology on a large scale, the world market would soon be flooded with food that's economically much more competitive than that produced within Europe. So they continue making a scare of GMO food in the name of public health, when all they're doing is just economic protectionism.

 

Who says GMO products shouldn't be a health concern? Just because it happens to coincide with protecting European economic interests.

A nicely selective example, emotive certainly, of the worldwide malaise of trade protectionism.

 

People who live in glass houses built on protectionism should not throw stones.

 

The big question is whether protectionism can ever be justified. Those who benefit from it in any way will surely say yes, even those who object to a specific example.