WTO to impose GM food against UK democratic will

[Idaho]

WTO Rule Against non GM stance

Great! Thanks WTO. Perhaps if you could ride over other democratic concerns we might have about.. well about whatever you want! You're the boss *tips hat*

[The Black Ship]

If you applied democracy as a litmus test would there be free-trade at all? Wouldn't protectionism rule supreme? Wouldn't minorities everywhere quake in fear?

[Idaho]

So you are saying that it is fair enough for a untested technology that the UK neither wants nor needs to be imposed on them (largely for the benefit of a couple of US agro-chemical companies)?

[Rodion Romanovich]

What would WTO do if Britain would refuse?

[rory_20_uk]

I am all for it being allowed. Consumers are the ones staunchly against eating the stuff, and that is unlikely to change.

I think that a product that is tradable internationally should be sold here - but that doesn't mean that we have to buy it!!!

[Xiahou]

So you are saying that it is fair enough for a untested technology that the UK neither wants nor needs to be imposed on them (largely for the benefit of a couple of US agro-chemical companies)?

Why do people let their archaic views stand in the way of scientific progress?

The World Trade Organisation ruled on Tuesday that European restrictions on the introduction of genetically-modified foods violated international trade rules, finding there was no scientific justification for Europe’s failure to allow use of new varieties of corn, soybeans and cotton.

Honestly, this GM food stuff is silly. It's nothing more than fear mongering and agricultural protectionism on the part of those against it.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Why do people let their archaic views stand in the way of scientific progress?

Yes I agree, if we get the untested GM food out on the market we get more - and human - subjects to test it on! Long live scientific progress!

[Ser Clegane]

Honestly, this GM food stuff is silly. It's nothing more than fear mongering and agricultural protectionism on the part of those against it.

Perhaps - but ultimately it should be the consumers' decision whether they want to buy/eat GM food or not.
The problem is that I doubt that the consumer actually will have the choice as the required labeling will be a bit difficult to enforce in practice (and IIRC the US farmers strictly oppose the labeling)

[Xiahou]

Perhaps - but ultimately it should be the consumers' decision whether they want to buy/eat GM food or not.
The problem is that I doubt that the consumer actually will have the choice as the required labeling will be a bit difficult to enforce in practice (and IIRC the US farmers strictly oppose the labeling)

Perhaps- but I hardly think that government imposed, protectionist bans is really going to allow the consumers to decide.

These GM food scare tactics become even more unconscionable when it comes to 3rd world countries. This scientifically unjustified scare mongering in Europe is spreading to countries where people are litterally dying of starvation. These hardier and more resistant crops would do much better in many of these places, in addition to opening them up to wider food imports. Yet, some would rather see these developing countries ban gm foods to prop up their otherwise uncompetitive agricultural industry.

[The Black Ship]

So you are saying that it is fair enough for a untested technology that the UK neither wants nor needs to be imposed on them (largely for the benefit of a couple of US agro-chemical companies)?

To say GM foods are untested is melodramatic. They are tested, and continue to be tested. Is the data compiled as large as you would like? Obviously not in your case.

Things like this happen, e.g: I don't like Siemans linear accelerators. Their target design is inferior, their reliability inferior yet they refuse to change it. The US neither needs nor wants them, but due to fair trade practices and price breaks some Therapy centers buy them. I could get melodramatic and say "off-line accelerators kill cancer patients every day!" Doesn't make it true....tough the validate

[Idaho]

To say GM foods are untested is melodramatic. They are tested, and continue to be tested. Is the data compiled as large as you would like? Obviously not in your case.

OK then.

What justification is there for GM foods other than the share price of certain agro-chemical giants?

Can you tell me the 3 main GM crops?

Are these crops in short supply?

Do these crops attract a subsidy for US farmers?

[Kralizec]

So while manipulating plants is ok, splicing human genes into other organisms is not?

I hope Don Corleone and Crazed Rabit never develop a form of diabetes. Afterall, it would go against their conscience to take insulin shots. Insulin that is made by modified e.coli bacteria, wich contain human genes so that they're able to produce compatible insulin.

[Adrian II]

So you are saying that it is fair enough for a untested technology that the UK neither wants nor needs to be imposed on them (largely for the benefit of a couple of US agro-chemical companies)?

Yes. It is called the free market. Generations of Brits voted for it, so it is little use complaining now, is it?

[Duke of Gloucester]

What would WTO do if Britain would refuse?

It would authorise the US or whoever else was trying to sell GM products in the UK to ban or apply tarrifs to selected UK products. It is not anti-democratic. The UK government could still ban imports, but we would have to accept restrictions on our exports to the countries affected. The job of the WTO would be to make sure that any retaliation was proportionate.

[rory_20_uk]

Idaho, doesn't Communism extole a free market as an extremely good thing? I don't think it's possible to profess to want some aspects and not others. All or nothing and I think that all is a far more socialist solution...

[Kralizec]

The only concern I have with GM food is that the manipulated genes might end up in the natural gene pool...wich is actually a huge concern.

I think that a product that is tradable internationally should be sold here - but that doesn't mean that we have to buy it!!!

Agreed, but how many people study product descriptions good enough to discover it's GM?

[rory_20_uk]

Due to the size of public backlash against the foods it is often trumpeted by shops that their own brands don't contain any, and often individual items state they are GM free.

Bacteria have these genes in already, and are quite capable of taking raw DNA from the soil or other dead bacteria and incorporating it into their own DNA, so for most organisms there's nothing new.

In higher plants, some might have limited affect, but in nature I believe that evolutionary pressure would be agianst plants with the genes as they require pampering in other ways in a controlled environment to thrive.

[Duke Malcolm]

Hmm... Surely this ruling does not allow them to be grown here? And then the EU might prevent anything which allows them to being grown into the EU? And also wouldn't the foods be labelled as GM?