High Intensity Sweeteners - Practical Guidelines
Brenntag
Former anti-GM campaigner, Mark Lynas
Celebrity chefs and other leading opinion-formers are poisoning the debate about genetically modified (GM) food, claims environmentalist and author Mark Lynas.
In this exclusive video, filmed at the Oxford Farming Conference last week, Lynas told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Celebrity chefs and middle-class food writers were communicating misinformation about GM.”
Such misinformation was blocking the introduction of GM food science, which could boost supplies of food worldwide while reducing inputs such as pesticide, fertiliser and diesel.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
TV chef and campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, gardener Monty Don and the Prince of Wales have all questioned the human and environmental safety of GM technology.
But Lynas said more than three trillion meals involving GM ingredients had been eaten in the past decade and a half without any adverse effect on human health.
GM varieties would be essential if farmers were to feed a predicted global population of 9.5bn by mid century without clearing huge areas of rainforrest for agricultural production, he said.
A former anti-GM campaigner, Lynas apologised to the audience for helping to lead the opposition to GM science in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, GM science is just one of the topics under discussion in a free webinar to take place at 11am GMT on Thursday January 24.
FoodManufacture.co.uk has teamed up with the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) to help move the debate about controversial food science and technology topics onto a more secure scientific footing.
To book your free place, click here.
4 comments (Comments are now closed)
Lynas scores minus
The Guardian reported EuropaBio’s recruitment of GM ambassadors to persuade EU governments to accept genetically manipulated (GM) crops and foods. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/20/europabio-gm-ambassadors-europe?newsfeed=true They report a leaked PR company letter places Mark Lynas among them. Lynas denies he’s a recruit but he follows the industry script.
Professor of John Vandermeer, Professor of Ecology at Michigan University rebuts Lynas main arguments here as based on science 101: http://www.foodfirst.org/en/GMO+uproar+in+EU
Lynas' cluelessly trashed GM crops in the '90s but his backing for GM crop science is also misplaced. For the public, farm viability, food safety, GM pollution & patents on the food supply that transfer ownership and control to a few corporations are key unresolved concerns.
Lynas also defends nuclear reactors over wind as a low carbon solution to climate change:
http://www.marklynas.org/2012/01/in-defence-of-nuclear-power/ His assessments cannot be trusted.
Report abuse
Posted by Bob Phelps
21 January 2013 | 00h30
Lynas not credible
EuropaBio recruited GM promoters to persuade governments and the public to accept genetically manipulated (GM) crops & foods: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/20/europabio-gm-ambassadors-europe?newsfeed=true A PR company file places Mark Lynas among them.
Professor of Ecology John Vandermeer disagrees with Lynas who is a non-scientist: http://www.foodfirst.org/en/GMO+uproar+in+EU
Lynas' cluelessly trashed GM crops in the '90s but his backing for GM crop science is also misplaced. For the public, farm viability, food safety, GM pollution & patents on the food supply that transer ownership and control to a few corporations are key unresolved concerns.
Report abuse
Posted by Bob Phelps
20 January 2013 | 11h55
Lynas is Right On!!!!
Mark Lynas is "Right On" with his comments. Decisions must be made based on science. If we are going to ask the farmers--our food producers--to feed the world as the demand for food increases we must give them the best tools we can--based on science. If we tell them they cannot do that then we better tell the medical profession and health care providers that they cannot use ANY of the advancements in healthcare equipment and pharmaceutical products that we now have available AND take them back to having a small black bag containing a stethoscope, a tongue depressor, a metal syringe with a glass chamber to be used over and over again, a couple of sharp knifes, a pair of pliers and, oh yes, let's advance them to have some peicillin.
There have been thousands in the past that died from the miss use of pharmaceutical products. Zero who have died because they ate food produce from some GM plants.
Report abuse
Posted by Hon Lyle Vanclief P.C.. P. Ag(Dist), FAIC
15 January 2013 | 17h32
Absolute rubbish
I fear that Lynas does not have a clue what he is talking about -- he has just a little knowledge about GM, and that is profoundly dangerous. He keeps on spouting the same lies -- time for him to get real. Check this:
http://www.gmfreecymru.org/pivotal_papers/lynas_school.html
Report abuse
Posted by Brian John
08 January 2013 | 19h04
Read all comments (4)