Yes, and as a corollary to the authors first point about being accused of supporting genocide there is an entirely adolescent site titled Counterknowledge which once featured a post accusing Prince Charles of promoting genocide too, and for the same reasons, because he is opposed to GM "foods".

Counterknowledge promotes the view that the only valid knowledge is that arrived at by the use of left brained Western scientism---everything else is ipso facto false.

Strange that the site is also linked into right wing religionists--I think the author of the book is a right-wing catholic. Never mind that if one really used the rigorous method of open-ended free enquiry how could anyone possibly be a catholic or a Christian?

Bravo, Greg. Thanks for unpacking the emotive hogwash generated by industry shills, and sold as "science".

And shame on SBS for airing this nonsense.

Greg, what exactly do you mean by "clean and green"? As a proponent of organic farming methods, you must know that the non-use of agrichemicals and biotechnology leaves open the probablility for yield losses through pest and disease outbreaks.

The current expansion of organic farming is driven by a premium price differential that makes up for the yield loss of many farmers. But what would happen if everyone did it? Last years food crisis would like like a mere blip in comparison.

I have no beef with organic farming, I think it's quite a nice idea, but if pesticides and biotechnology were to be banned outright (which I believe to be part of your agenda?), then it is quite likely you would be complicit in causing the deaths of lots of poor people around the globe.

Greg - I would never have accused you of being malicious in opposing GM foods, just misguided.
In fact, hunger in Africa is usually due to conflict that disrupts the local economy. There is no local authority to take effective action (or which even cares about its citizens), aid workers dare not go in and so on.
But at the same time the bulk of the opposition to GM foods amounts is an anti-tech scare campaign which has yet to identify any actual problems caused by GM. I'm not even aware of laboratory tests that give rise to any real concern - although I'm sure if you search hard enough you'll find something. There are those who do not like GM foods because they are "not nautral" but is that a valid point considering that farming really isn't natural either, irrespective of whether you use pesticides or not.
No you can't switch over everything to organic farming. If you have serious concerns with present farming efforts then identify what they are and work to fix them within the framework of unnatural farming, rather than try to remake the world in the Green God's image.

Greg, what exactly is your point here? Your arguments are very long on emotion but very short on fact.

If you want to grow organic foods, fine, but don't expect a lot of unbridled enthusiasm from the veggie counter at Coles/Woolies when your bug eaten, brown spot covered stuff is displayed next to the non-organic, brightly colored, perfect looking produce. A study was done in Canada (Toronto I believe, a couple years ago) where these two types of veg were displayed next to each other in a green grocer's shop. Nobody bought the organic veg because it all looked rather sickly. He quit stocking it.

As far as GM is concerned you do not cite any proof of any problems other than your agri-business scare mongering. If you have ever shopped in the US during their fresh corn season you will find nothing but GM corn on display. The taste is wonderful and all the ears are perfect as opposed to the worm and fungus infected corn ears that seem to be the norm here in Aus. If you have tried the fresh corn on the cob from the US you will never go back to the stuff on offer here. And as a side benefit - the US fresh corn price is about half the fresh corn price here.

I come from a family of farmers in the US. They are all very much in favor of the GM crops. They are the first ones to agree that the spraying of insecticides can't be good for the land. And they also are very much in favor of the higher yield per acre of GM crops. These two reasons are terrific productivity enhancers that allow them a reduction in their time, fuel and chemical expenditures while growing the food to feed the population

Curmudgeon.

Those who oppose GM "foods" and therefore propose organic and natural methods of horticulture and agriculture are not trying to remake the world in the image of the "Green God". Indeed they are trying to cooperate with how the God given natural laws, or how the processes of nature work.

In fact it is the other way round.

The arrogant and hubristic techno-optimists are the ones that are trying to remake the entire world into and image of themselves.

Rather like the vision presented in this image

1. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~spanmod/mural/panel14.html

The GM advocates fit squarely within this paradigm. Plus the power-mad attitude described in the first paragraph of the main text of this reference.

1. http://www.aboutadidam.org/readings/bridge_to_god/index2.html