Home > Press releases > Prince Charles hits GM nail on head
13 August 2008
Commenting on Prince Charles' concerns over the impacts of GM crops on the environment and farmers, expressed today, Friends of the Earth's Campaign Director Mike Childs said:
"Prince Charles has hit the nail on the head about the damaging false solution that GM crops present."
"GM crops will not solve the food crisis - and forging ahead with an industrialised farming system will continue to fail people and the environment around the world."
"Global political effort must be channelled into securing long lasting, green farming solutions that put people, not corporations, at their heart - and the UK Government must look at the evidence before falling for GM industry hype."
Earlier this year a UN International Assessment of Agriculture (IAASTD), carried out by 400 scientists and endorsed by 60 countries found no conclusive evidence that GM crops increase crop yields. It concluded that although the green revolution had increased crop yields, this had come at an unacceptable environmental and social cost, degrading soils, contributing to climate change and failing the world's poor. The biotechnology industry pulled out of the process when it became clear that the report would not endorse GM crops. The report stated that "business as usual is not an option" and that science and technology must be combined with traditional knowledge, working with communities on localised farming solutions.
1. Friends of the Earth's briefing on the food crisis:
www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/ ¬
world_leaders_warned_off_p_02062008.html
2. Prince Charles' comments: www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/08/12/eacharles112.xml
3. UN International Assessment of Agriculture (IAASTD), www.agassessment.org/
For further information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
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