Dave B wrote:If any established farmer wishes to grow organic crops - not using nasty chemicals - and there is a viable market for such then he or she should have the right to do so without danger of losing his or her organic status because of what the neighbours do.
Still playing devil's advocate, I certainly don't have a problem with that (even if the advantages of organic are either unclear or minimal at best and the downsides are significant). Surely there is a contamination risk from the 'nasty chemicals' as well as from GM, so the question is what are the risks of contamination from both and what needs to be done to minimise them?
OK, that seems, to me a least, as valid a right as any other to carry out a legal business without new interference from others - even if that interference itself does not break any law. But Big Agro and Big Supermarket do not give a fig (GM or not) for such rules and usually win out if only by attrition - perhaps it is that potential bullying that bothers me.
Agreed to some extent, but we can control some activities by big corporations. Take the advertising of prescription-only medicines to the public - it is illegal, despite it being commonplace in teh US and despite the power, money and influence of Big Pharma.
Growing super-crops to feed the starving millions is one thing, growing such to fill the pockets of shareholders is another. Apart from that most supermarket vegetables have very little to commend them in terms of flavour - but, I know, we could never live on the output from organic and locally grown produce.
If they lack flavour, then we need to demand better varieties, but I agree with you that going organic is no solution at all.
We have been spoilt into expecting all veg and fruit all the year, regardless of season and that is not doing the people or land of Africa etc. much good as a whole and demands lots of chemicals.
I'm not sure that 'lots of chemicals' isn't simply pejorative: we do need them now and like everything else, there has to be a balance struck between the benefits and the potential harms, but I don't know where this is at the moment.
Will GM ever really solve that problem unless it is at a similar cost to now? I think we, or our grandkids at least, may have to learn to expect less variety at greater price.
Quite possibly.