Sir, - The recent application to the Environmental Protection Agency by the giant multinational, Monsanto, to carry out field trials on sugar beet which has been genetically modified to resist Monsanto's own herbicide Roundup, has opened up a debate which has been raging in other countries for some time. One of the long term objectives of these multi national food and chemical companies is clearly the patenting of "news crops which are entirely dependent on specific pesticides. Often, these pesticides are either manufactured or marketed - or both - by the same company.
The fear among environmentalists is that, down the line, there will be a further diminishment of the earth's bio diversity, as farmers plant more pesticide dependent crops, resulting in an overall increase in the widespread spraying of these environmentally unsustainable chemicals. Ironically, this is happening at a time when several EU Member States are endeavouring to reduce their dependency on pesticides. (Ireland is not one of these countries).
There have been over 750 genetically modified organism (GMQ) releases in EU Member States to date, but none so far in Ireland. The proposed Roundup resistant sugar beet trials this spring in Counties Carlow, Kilkenny and Cork will, if allowed by the EPA to proceed, change all that.
At the very least, there should be an oral hearing on the proposed sugar beet field trials and a full public debate on the whole area of genetically modified food before any field trial licences are granted. I.instead, the trials will be shrouded in secrecy and the clear signal to the consumer is that the future development of farming will carry on as before, with the consumer as guinea pig and agri business the experimenter.
To make matters worse, our right to know if our food has been genetically modified - by proper labelling - is being resisted at every turn by the companies creating this new, unnatural food. The consumer, as usual, is being kept in the dark as we all proceed blindfolded towards the brave new world of food production. - Yours etc.,
Environment spokesperson Green Party/Comhaontas Glas 5A Upper Fownes Street,
Dublin 2.