Sir, - It would appear that Eoin Ryan (September 25th), has swallowed the corporate cherry in his analysis of genetically modified food. The premise of his argument lies in his statement that because less pesticide is used, there is a concomitant benefit to the environment. Let's get this straight. Genetically modified food is not simply about fewer pesticides in our soil. It involves a complicated procedure of using virus and bacteria genes to smuggle the "trait" gene into the host. It has been found in laboratory tests that when these viruses start behaving in unprecedented ways the result can be modified viruses or superbugs which are resistant to antibiotics. The risks to the Irish environment lie in the effects of releasing these plants modified for herbicide resistance. It should also be noted that the Environmental Protection Agency has admitted that it does not monitor the environment where these plants are being grown - only the actual trial site.
Even if the benefits were actually achievable and safe, society should question the ethics, the democratic process involved, the monopolies created, the patenting of life, the socio-economic effects and the cost to the environment. None of these has been fully assessed.
It is the belief of many that no company should be permitted to commercialise a transgenic crop until a programme is in place that assures risk assessment. At the moment trial plots of sugar beet are growing merrily in the Irish countryside without adequate risk assessment. It is now known that herbicide-resistant, genetically engineered soya beans contain up to ten times more toxic residue that the normal levels. It should also be noted that there is no testing for herbicide residue for food in Ireland.
While companies involved in the production of gentically engineered food are spending millions on slick advertising campaigns to lull us into thinking that gene cuisine is right for the Irish consumer, there is an attempt to hide the fact that we have an inadequate labelling system for genetically engineered food, poor risk assessment of the issues involved in this field and a lack of segregation of crops at source - which is vital if we are going to have an honest labelling system. It is clear that without this, any labelling system would be suspect.
I feel it is my moral right to know what I am eating, to have that food clearly labelled and to know that the Irish environment is safe. Recombinant DNA techniques have handed an enormous amount of power into the hands of a very small number of people in biotechnology companies. Many people feel that the rush to embrace genetically engineered food has more to do with profit than any alleged benefits to the Irish environment or the health of the Irish consumer.- Yours, etc., Mary White,
Green Party Spokesperson for the Environment, Killedmond, Borris, Co Carlow.