El Debat dels transgènics a Europa o com la pagesia europea busca alternatives: situació històrica d'un fenomen recurrent

Abstract

The year 2005 marks the beginning of the 10th consecutive year of commercial cultivation of genetically modified crops (GMC) in the world. The adoption rate is reflected by the billionth acre of a biotech crop planted by one of 8,5 million farmers, requiring no or fewer application of chemical insecticides (hundreds of millions of kg in the world) and decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, in Europe, the economic impact of GMC has harvested many organic opponents of multinationals and of the use of genetically modified crops, in order to protect poor and developing countries. History shows that European farmers has often developed agrarian revolutions capable of producing more food produced by less people, but also agrarian alternatives when agricultural surplus has reduced their profits: forrage, horticultural and ornamental crops. Nowadays, Europe seems to trust in organic farming as an economically viable alternative to the conventional or transgenic agricultures. But its just necessary to clarify that no choice is offered to consumers: they will eat transgenics but European farmers probably will not grow them.