Journal or Publishing Institution: Science
Study: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/328/5975/170.1.full
Author(s): Tirado, R. and Johnston, P.
Article Type: Journal Publication
Record ID: 1994
Abstract: The special section on Food Security (12 February, p. 797) appeared to strongly and uncritically support the application and development of genetically modified (GM) technologies and the reliance on agrochemicals. There was little appreciation of the conflicts that are likely to arise. Increased access to expensive nonrenewable inputs, along with increased public acceptance and trust of GM crops, could threaten biodiversity (1, 2) and overall sustainability of agriculture. The articles should have acknowledged the success of non-GM alternatives, such as observed increases in yields resulting from low-input ecological practices on rainfed farms (3).
In their Review for the section (“Food security: The challenge of feeding 9 billion people,” p. 812), H. C. J. Godfray et al. wrote, “we must avoid the temptation to further sacrifice Earth’s already hugely depleted biodiversity for easy gains in food production.” By being held hostage to the agro-industrial “machine,” we succumb to that temptation.
Keywords: food security, GM technology, agrochemicals, sustainability, biodiversity, yields
Citation: Tirado, R. and Johnston, P., 2010. Food security: GM crops threaten biodiversity. Science, 328(5975), pp.170-171.
