Greenpeace spends $170M to oppose biotech

A US-based leading advocate for biotechnology Dr. Channapatna S. Prakash Friday said Europe-based Greenpeace, a group that used to be respected for advocacy in saving whales and other endangered species but has become a foremost opposition to biotechnology worldwide, spends about $170 million for such an activity.

Prakash, who was in the country for a series of advocacy campaigns for biotechnology as the acclaimed molecular biologist, said Greenpeace gets it budget from private rich individuals and maybe some companies that think their business operations will be greatly affected by widespread use of genetically modified crops in the world.

Greenpeace has been behind the raid on bodegas of General Milling Corp. in Batangas and stopping the unloading of suspected GM crops of other food companies. It is also believed to be backing the uprooting by farmers of GM corn crops planted by Monsanto in recent months.

Prakash would not say if pesticides companies are financing the operations of Greenpeace. "Besides, they realize they have no way but to accept biotechnology as the technology of the future," Prakash told reporters.

He, however, noted that worldwide usage of pesticides have declined by 30 to 40 percent as a result of biotechnology. In the US for instance, 44 million liters of pesticides are now no longer being sprayed due to biotech crops.

He said biotechnology offers better quality and safe food (for animals and humans) as well as increased yields and higher incomes for farmers, which eventually would result in lower prices for consumers.

The holler against biotechnology, he said, is based on unfounded myths and fears as well as concerns on social justice such as it is benefiting only the companies generating such products and those who control the technology.

He said in 15 countries where biotech and genetically modified crops are used, a total of 105 million acres of land is now being devoted to them. A total of 5,000 GM food enter the US supermarkets with biotech ingredients.

He said some European countries that "hypocritically opposed biotechnology are actually using biotech in their cheese and wines." Also, Europe is the largest buyer of GM soybean from the United States.