EuropaBio Launches Digital Platform for GM Dialogue

EuropaBio launched Growing Voices (www.growingvoices.eu), a digital forum designed to help consumers learn about the reality of GM crops and to facilitate dialogue between consumers and non-industry experts from farming, academia, politics, among others.

The launch of Growing Voices was attended by over 100 invited guests. High profile politicians, researchers, and campaigners presented in the event and called the attention of European consumers to engage more in the debate on biotech crops using this forum. A panel discussion highlighting the health and consumer benefits of agricultural biotechnology was also conducted.

One of the speakers during the event was Hon. Owen Paterson, MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK. He said that "GM offers real opportunities to develop crops that provide better resilience to extremes of weather and land conditions. There is the potential to add extra nutrients that can directly help people in developing countries who are vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies in their diets. As the world's population continues to increase, access to these technologies becomes even more important."

Read the press release at http://www.europabio.org/press/growing-voices-encourage-consumer-rethink-gm-crops-high-profile-guests-highlight-current-and. Read Hon. Owen Paterson's speech at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/owen-paterson-speech-at-europabio.