On May 13, the US, Argentina, Canada and Egypt and nine other countries announced a request for WTO consultations with the EU over its moratorium on approving agricultural biotechnology products. The overwhelming preponderance of legal and scientific evidence supports their decision to challenge the EU over its stance on agricultural biotechnology.
Over the past five years, the EU has consistently violated the WTO's rules that require measures regulating imports to be based on sufficient scientific evidence and for regulatory approval procedures to be operated without undue delay. EU mem-bers have blocked regulatory approval of new agricultural biotechnology products since 1998 and have done so without presenting any scientific evidence demonstrating a danger to human health as required under the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement.
Simply put, the EU moratorium has no scientific basis. Bioengineered foods on the market have been shown to be as safe as conventional varieties. As noted by the French Academy of Sciences, more than 300 million Americans have been eating bioengineered corn and soybeans for years with no adverse consequences reported. The EU itself acknowledges that biotech foods on the market pose no threat to human health.
Unfortunately, the EU moratorium on agricultural biotechnology approvals has ramifications far beyond Europe. The EU's refusal to meet its WTO obligations is slowing down the adoption of a beneficial technology, and developing countries have already suffered negative consequences.
Last fall, some famine-stricken southern African countries balked at US food aid because of ill-informed health and environmental concerns, as well as fears that the countries' exports to Europe would be jeopardized by "contamination" of local crops. The introduction of vitamin-enhanced "Golden Rice" could dramatically reduce the incidence of childhood blindness in Asia. Those who stand to benefit the most from agricultural biotechnology do not have time on their side.
The spillover effects of the EU moratorium threaten to negate the benefits of biotechnology, which can help stimulate agricultural productivity and raise living standards. Farmers worldwide have recognized the economic, agricultural and environmental benefits of biotech crops. Biotech crops could help Taiwan's farmers compete more effectively in world markets.
Up to 80 percent of some crops in Africa are presently lost to drought. Biotech drought-resistant crops can help produce food in developing countries struggling to feed their populations while raising rural incomes.
Increased use of agricultural biotechnology can also yield substantial environmental benefits. Farmers utilizing biotech crops can reduce soil erosion and pesticide use. Biotech crops create more hospitable environments for wildlife, including streams and rivers spared from chemical pesticides. Farmers who are able to increase crop yields on existing land will be less tempted to encroach upon tropical rainforests and other fragile natural habitats.
At the same time, biotechnology can create high-paying jobs and stimulate economic development. It could revolutionize the way we live as much, or even more, than computer technology.
Finally, those who claim that the US is trying to force biotech foods on consumers have actually got the argument backwards. It is the EU's unilateral, illegal and unjustified actions which constrain choice and opportunity worldwide. The US and others seek regulations that maximize consumer choice while at the same time protecting consumer health and safety. We hope that the people of Taiwan will support the US as we move in the WTO to protect this life saving and growth enhancing technology.
Douglas Paal is director of the American Institute in Taiwan.
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