Posted on: Sunday, July 7, 2002

EDITORIAL
G8 summit produces good biotech statement

One of the less-well-noticed decisions coming out of that meeting in Canada of the G8 nations was a statement urging the use of biotech food in the global battle against hunger and malnutrition.

Hawai'i, which has already established a niche in this area, should applaud the G8 statement.

No one argues that any scientific advance cannot carry with it dangers or potential problems that must be carefully understood. In that, biotechnology is no different from any other scientific advance. But the possibility of problems is no reason to be afraid of moving forward on a technology that could help feed the world's hungry.

Among others, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences has concluded that biotech is inherently no more dangerous than other accepted food technologies.

Even today, out of the more than 6 billion humans on the planet, experts say as many as 800 million are chronically hungry.

Critics of biotech say there should be other, safer, more sustainable ways of creating the food the world needs.

Others say the problem today is not so much one of production as it is of distribution and unequal consumption patterns among the world's people.

All this may be true. And it is a good bet that every avenue of food production and distribution will have to be pursued in the years to come.

But to leave biotechnology out of the equation would be a cruel slap at those who struggle to survive in a hungry world.