Ag biotech moves to mollify its critics
Enserink, M.
Science 286(5445): 1666-1668
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 10610558 Document Number: 504457
As protests against genetically modified crops continue, the developers of these foods are considering steps, such as labeling GM foods, that were once considered anathema. The resistance to GM foods, which largely started in Britain, is spreading to other European countries and the developing world, and although some studies have raised concerns about GM foods, there is little evidence so far that those on the market are damaging, either to human health or ecosystems. Most observers agree that the next couple of years will be critical for the future of GM crops and that in the end, consumers, rather than the farmers that the industry has long considered its main customers, will decide the fate of GM foods. Novartis does not object to mandatory labeling, a position that was once viewed as maverick within the industry but is now gaining acceptance, says Willy De Greef, head of regulatory and government affairs at Novartis Seeds, who adds that labeling is also a way to display confidence in the safety and quality of the company's products.