UK agriculture minister calls on EU to approve GM maize

Developments

2014/1/8 China News Network

content Summary: British Agriculture Minister Owen Patterson suggested at the Oxford Agriculture Conference that the European Union approve the planting of a newly developed genetically modified corn in 2014. The new variety is jointly developed by DuPont and Dow Chemical. If this genetically modified corn is approved, It will be the first time in 15 years that the European Union has approved the planting of genetically modified food crops.

The British Minister of Agriculture issued an appeal to recommend that the European Union approve a genetically modified corn jointly developed by DuPont and Dow Chemical in a vote at the end of January 2014.

British Agriculture Minister Owen Patterson said at the Oxford Agriculture Conference that if genetically modified corn is approved, it will be the first time in 15 years that the European Union has approved the planting of genetically modified food crops.

He added that as innovative firms decide to invest in other markets and develop new agricultural technology the EU is at risk of becoming a museum of world agricultural history.

In 1998, the European Union approved an insect-resistant genetically modified corn developed by Monsanto. Since then, the EU has not approved any genetically modified food crops because of public concerns about the safety of genetically modified crops in the EU.

Later in January 2014, senior diplomats from the 28 EU countries will vote on whether to allow the planting of genetically modified corn developed by DuPont and Dow Chemical. Patterson said it remains to be seen whether the vote will pass. France, Austria and Italy are expected to vote against, while Britain, Sweden and Spain are expected to vote in favor.

In December 2013, the European Court of Justice overturned the European Commission's decision to allow the cultivation and sale of genetically modified potatoes developed by BASF. Since the withdrawal of this product by BASF in 2012, the EU has no longer planted this genetically modified potato.

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