Organic Farmers Are Not Anti-Science but Genetic Engineers Often Are

http://www.independentsciencenews.org/un-sustainable-farming/organic-farmers-are-not-anti-science-but-genetic-engineers-often-are/
Date Written:  2016-05-24
Publisher:  Independent Science
Year Published:  2016
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX21092

Henderson argues that biotechnologists conflate anti-science with anti-genetic engineering, and that genetically engineered crops are being commercialized without proper testing.

Abstract: 
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Excerpt:

Just as the biotech proponents conflate "science" and GMOs, I and the organic movement conflate our struggle for family-scale, local, organic or agroecological agriculture and against corporate control with the fight against gmos. Buying Roundup Ready seed is not a free choice for farmers. Using that seed ensnares the farmer in Monsanto's clutches.

There are economic issues here as well. Major Goodman of North Carolina State University, a respected corn geneticist and member of the National Academy of Sciences, stated in testimony before the National Research Council that conventional breeding typically costs about $1 million per trait, while genetic engineering costs $136 million per GE trait, with most of the cost due to research and development, not to regulatory expenses.