Older biotechnology tools, such as genetic markers in plant breeding, are firmly established in the centres. But less than ten per cent of their work currently involves transgenics, say officials. Brian Johnson of English Nature called for a moratorium on commercialization, and Fred Gould, an ecologist at North Carolina State University, warned that developing countries are ill-equipped to cope with unforeseen environmental problems that may arise from the crops. But supporters of transgenic technology, such as Klaus Leisinger of Novartis, accused detractors of delaying nutritional improvements that could save thousands of lives. There was agreement with Sagoff's point that the 'safety' of GM crops is not the primary issue.
Safety is the card which is played to get the deeper political and economic issues on to the table.
These issues include the fact that none of the first-generation transgenic crops are of much use to farmers in poor countriesQrather, they will extend the productivity advantages enjoyed by heavily subsidized farmers in industrialized countries. Another issue is the lack of technical knowledge in poor countries. But the most pressing concern is the imbalance of negotiating strength between the corporations that pioneered transgenic crops and farmers, scientists and governments in poor countries. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed for research and educational purposes only.