July 19, 2006

 

French GM corn acreage likely to rise

 

 

France is set for a massive increase in GM corn planting this year, according to a recent USDA Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN) report.

 

French Bt corn acreage is expected to leap tenfold from 500 ha in 2005 to 5,000 ha in 2006, as a result of the economic advantages experienced by Bt corn growers in 2005, according to the report.

 

The wide presence of the European corn borer in Southern France provides a sound argument for GM corn, said Marie-Cecile Henard, who wrote the report.

 

However, the optimism would have to be tempered by continued French consumer resistance, Henard said.

 

This week, opponents of GM crops in France reaffirmed their commitment to destroy GM fields.

 

Around 40 per cent of GM trials were destroyed through sabotage attempts. 

 

However, Henard believes more and more farmers are being won over by pro-GM arguments.

 

While the French Biotech Bill is still pending in the Parliament, farmers are adopting coexistence practices based on studies by the French corn growers association (AGPM) and the recommendations of seed companies, she wrote.

 

The French pro-GM farm community is hoping to receive some legal clarity in the coexistence area, which itself remains a controversial issue. Meanwhile, the French Biotech Bill, which sets rules on GM and non-GM, remains undebated in the National Assembly.

 

If the predictions made by the study prove to be true, it may mean that the historical rejection of GM technology in Europe may be falling away and consumer acceptance may not be far off.

 

The WTO's ruling that Europe had violated trade rules by banning GM food imports between 1999 and 2003 has also helped strengthen the case for GM food.

 

The EU's approach to GM food regulation which critics say pander to the fears and prejudices of its citizens, has long been derided by the US for having little scientific basis. The EU's precautionary principle, which rules that regulators should err on the side of caution, assumes that a prevention strategy is always appropriate.