America: Genetically modified foods are popular

October 29, 2013 13:13:18 Source: Xinhua

content Summary: In the three largest countries in the Americas, genetically modified food can be said to be popular. According to statistics from the International Agricultural Biotechnology Application Service Organization headquartered in the United States, the global planting area of genetically modified crops reached 0.1703 billion hectares in 2012. Among them, the United States has 69.5 million hectares, ranking first in the world; Brazil ranks second with 36.6 million hectares.

In the three largest countries in the Americas, genetically modified foods are popular. The United States is the birthplace of many genetically modified crops and the largest grower in the world; Brazil in South America is the second largest country in the world to grow genetically modified crops; Canada, like the United States, does not require any labeling of genetically modified foods.

According to statistics from the International Agricultural Biotechnology Application Service Organization headquartered in the United States, the global planting area of genetically modified crops reached 0.1703 billion hectares in 2012. Among them, the United States has 69.5 million hectares, ranking first in the world; Brazil ranks second with 36.6 million hectares. In Canada, it is estimated that 97.5 percent of the country's rapeseed production in 2012 came from genetically modified crops.

From a consumer perspective, statistics from the American Grocery Manufacturers Association show that 75% to 80% of processed foods on the American table contain genetically modified ingredients. There is no specific mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods in US supermarkets because the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers them as safe as traditional foods.

Canada's attitude is exactly the same. Health Canada's position is that once genetically modified foods are allowed on the market, their food safety is no different from traditional foods and does not need to be specified. The Canadian Ministry of Agriculture stated that the mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods may cause food production costs to rise, prices to rise, and affect consumers' purchasing decisions.

Brazil's management of genetically modified foods is also relatively loose. According to regulations, foods whose main raw materials are genetically modified products must be marked on the packaging bag, but if the auxiliary materials or intermediate products are genetically modified, no marking may be made. The reporter tried to find the relevant logo on some food packaging bags, but found that it was neither obvious nor a risk warning, but added "genetic change" after the main raw material ".

As a major food producer and exporter in the world today, Brazil's agricultural production in recent years has mainly relied on the large-scale application of genetically modified technology. The genetically modified crops grown in Brazil mainly include soybeans, corn and cotton. Among them, genetically modified soybeans are the largest, accounting for 68% of all genetically modified crops; the output of genetically modified corn has accounted for 84% of the total corn output. Brazil has also applied GM technology to 29 other crops, such as sugarcane with a drought-tolerant gene and the gene for the antibiotic kanamycin into tobacco.

At a time when there is still a lot of international controversy over GM crops, why is Brazil so "reassured" about the development of GM? In an interview with reporters, Ferrelli Torres, an expert from the Brazilian food consulting industry Celeres, talked about the following three reasons:

first of all, Brazil's large-scale agricultural production model basically follows that of the United States, and the provision of seeds and loans and the acquisition of products are often monopolized by a few American agricultural multinational companies, such as Monsanto and Bunge. Therefore, when the United States vigorously promotes the cultivation of genetically modified crops, if Brazil fails to follow up at the same time, it will have a devastating impact on agricultural production. This shows that the Brazilian government's move has a certain passive color.

Secondly, compared with ordinary crops, genetically modified crops have the obvious advantages of high yield, easy management and low production cost. As a big agricultural export country, Brazil has to compete with the subsidized agricultural products of developed countries in the international market, and the economic benefits are very important. Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of domestic agricultural products, opening up the cultivation of genetically modified crops is also an inevitable choice.

Third, as a large developing country, Brazil still has tens of millions of people who have not solved the problem of food and clothing. Therefore, Brazil's attitude towards food safety is very different from that of relatively conservative Europe, which needs safety after eating well, while developing countries are still in the stage of having enough to eat. In addition, Brazil does not want to miss this global agricultural technology revolution when the danger of genetically modified food is still uncertain.

A fact that cannot be ignored is that Brazil has become an important food producer and exporter in the world with the help of genetically modified technology. Among them, soybeans are the world's second largest producer and exporter, corn is the third largest producer, and exports are also among the top five in the world. But Brazil also has to pay huge patent fees to American agricultural giants such as Monsanto and has not fully benefited from GM.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-10/29/c_117917376.htm

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