CANBERRA, Jan 22 Asia Pulse - The Australian Democrats have labelled comments made by a leading international agriculture expert on the dangers of GM food regulation irresponsible, short-sighted and at odds with the real concerns of many people.

Democrats' science and technology spokeswoman, Natasha Stott-Despoja, said people were entitled to be cynical towards any calls for a more laissez-faire approach to GM exports.

This follows comments by International Food Policy Research Institute managing director Per Pinstrup-Andersen last week.

Dr Pinstrup-Andersen said efforts by European countries to force other nations to adopt their bans on GM products were a form of neo-colonialism.

He said as long as developing countries had some GM regulation, they should be free to do what they liked, especially as they faced major food shortage problems.

"While genetically-modified crops may have some benefits, it is grossly irresponsible to dismiss concerns about side-effects," she said in a statement.

"It is self-serving to suggest that alleviating starvation is simply a matter of increasing food production.

"Political, economic and distribution issues contribute at least, if not more to starvation than food production per se."

Dr Pinstrup-Andersen said claims that there was already enough food produced to feed developing nations were simplistic and ignored the farming practices, and needs of farmers in developing nations.

Senator Stott-Despoja said more research had to be carried out on the risks of GM food and ways of minimising them.

"This means significant ongoing research and an appropriate regulatory approach," she said.

"Shoddy science and shoddy ethics have no place in the debate."

ASIA PULSE
---

for more on this topic: http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/feedtheworld.htm

"There are still hungry people in Ethiopia, but they are hungry because they have no money, no longer because there is no food to buy ....we strongly resent the abuse of our poverty to sway the interests of the European public." -Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher of the Institute of Sustainable Development in Addis Ababa on the way pro-GM scientists try to promote GM crops through emotional blackmail: saying they are vital to feed the world

"History has many records of crimes against humanity, which were also justified by dominant commercial interests and governments of the day... Today, patenting of life forms and the genetic engineering which it stimulates, is being justified on the grounds that it will benefit society, especially the poor, by providing better and more food and medicine. But in fact, by monopolising the 'raw' biological materials, the development of other options is deliberately blocked. Farmers therefore, become totally dependent on the corporations for seeds". -Prof. Wangari Mathai of the Green Belt Movement Kenya

"Biotechnology and GM crops are taking us down a dangerous road, creating the classic conditions for hunger, poverty and even famine. Ownership and control concentrated in too few hands and a food supply based on too few varieties of crops planted widely are the worst option for food security." -Christian Aid report: "Biotechnology and GMOs"