Irish Farmers Association Calls on EU for Biotech Solutions to Reduce Crop Losses
October 16, 2013| |
Speaking at the Environmental Protection Agency's ‘GMO Technology Conference' in Dublin Castle on October 11, 2013, Irish Farmers Association (IFA) national potato chairman Thomas Carpenter said there is an onus on EU society to examine how biotechnology can be used to reduce substantially the significant crop yield loss that growers are experiencing, while also addressing environmental concerns.
Carpenter said "Crop yields for major Irish crops such as potatoes and wheat have plateaued over the past 20 years. Up to 30 percent of crop yield potential is not being achieved due to pests, diseases, climate and environmental factors and so on."
According to him, the burgeoning global demand for food and increasing environmental constraints, coupled with the diminishing armory of pesticides available to protect crops, the onus is on society to develop and adopt biotech solutions that can deliver environmental benefits and greater resource use efficiencies." He added that "Robust independent research coupled with a properly designed education program is needed to help consumers to understand the benefits that biotechnology can deliver.
Read more about this at: http://www.ifa.ie/IFAInformation/tabid/586/ctl/Detail/mid/2202/xmid/5926/xmfid/23/Default.aspx.
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