Now here's a funny thing. Only a couple of days ago we were speculating on whether Tony Trewavas was managing to smuggle more dubious pro-GM propaganda into a Scottish newspaper, when lo and behold, almost exactly the same article pops up, under the same by-line but a different headline, in another major Scottish paper. This time, you'll be pleased to know, it also comes with a 'SCYTHE SAGA' picture of a protester.
So is 'Vic Robertson'
a) a bone fide journalist
b) part of TT's entourage
c) a cypher
d) an enterprising hack who flogs the same slanted story all around the Scottish press
e) all of these
I think we should be told.
Below the latest 'article' is our bulletin on the previous one.
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Hard choices lie ahead for agriculture; Green versus biotechnology as scientists join debate on global trends
Vic Robertson
The Herald (Glasgow)
April 24, 2001
WORLD agriculture cannot afford to ignore any system of production to meet the targets of an increasingly demanding population, a forum of scientists has agreed.
Genetically-modified (GM) crops which can thrive in low-water environments will be increasingly needed in arid areas, while some countries may demand more extensive or even organic agriculture for ethical and environmental reasons. Some 200 scientists gathered at the John Innes Centre in Norwich - a research station at the cutting edge of GM research - to hear Professor MS Swaminathan of India, the arch-guru of the so-called "green revolution" of the 1960s and 1970s, say that projections and predictions for food grain demand and supply in 20 years ranged between hope and despair. However, with a range of technologies now available there were hopes for an "evergreen" revolution, he told the three-day conference. "Most developing countries have no option except to produce more from less per capita arable land and irrigation water resources.
"This is why there is a need for an evergreen revolution based on achieving continuous improvements in productivity without associated social or ecological harm," Swaminathan told his audience. Injecting a note of concern for the biodiversity of the countryside, particularly in developed countries, Professor Alan Gray, director of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Dorset, said the challenge for the developing world was to find ways of reducing the environmental impact of increased intensification. He was optimistic that, given the political will, scientists could provide the global agricultural systems needed to feed an additional two billion mouths in 2020 as well as retaining an acceptable level of countryside biodiversity. "Tweaking the edges of conventional agriculture can have amazing effects," Gray observed. However, the third keynote speaker, Dr Barbara Mazur of Dupont Agricultural Products of the United States, remained unshakeable in her view that the world of biotechnology offered the best hope of meeting demands. Her reply to questions on the public acceptability of bio-engineered foodstuffs remained the standard corporate response of being "committed to safety". At first sight, this might have caused a knee -jerk reaction among consumer representatives, but Robin Simpson, the director of special projects with the National Consumer Council - who was one of the two dozen speakers at the seminar - admitted that, while he had not been the subject of a Damascene conversion, he had been impressed by the seriousness of the wider implications of the conference.
"It is very difficult to be dogmatic about the situation world-wide," he said. "For example, there was a lot of discussion on the need to develop strains of crops that were low in their use of water and water is clearly something which will be a major issue fairly soon," he said. "The consumer organisation's position has been one of concern about biotechnology in the context of GM," he noted. ''But in terms of the potential future crisis it is very difficult to be too dogmatic."
Simpson added: "The view we have taken is that there is a need for trials. That is very necessary and we have to be careful when we see the risks that some of the more rainfall threatened areas of the world are facing right now."
But he pointed out that agronomic progress had the potential to create havoc with "demented policies" that led to chronic over supply. GRAPHIC: SCYTHE SAGA: While scientists and agribusinesses regard genetically - modified crops as the answer to improving food supply, protesters voice their fears in the most dramatic manner
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Norfolk Genetic Information Network (ngin),
http://members.tripod.com/~ngin
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It would be very interesting to know the real source of this piece in the Scotsman. Did the Scotsman really assign a reporter to cover a science conference in Norfolk? Or was this just possibly supplied to the paper pre-digested by Tony Trewavas, a rabidly pro-GM scientist who boasts his ability to get his material published in the Scottish press, and who just happens to have been a speaker at the JIC jamboree. (This piece also turned up today on Prakash's AgBioView list to which Trewavas is a regular contributor.)
We only ask because when Trewavas spoke at an agricultural college in the south of England, his speech was subsequently reported in great detail by a Scottish newspaper without a single mention of the views of any of the 3 other speakers on the same platform. This piece notably makes no reference to the 'Feeding or Fooling the World?' counter event.
So was this a Trewavas 'press release' and if so did it perchance come complete with that headline?
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WORLD DEMAND TOO GREAT TO IGNORE GM
http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/business.cfm?id=66518
The Scotsman
April 24, 2001, Tuesday
Vic Robertson
WORLD agriculture can't afford to ignore any system which will help it meet the demands of an increasing world populations, say scientists.
Genetically modified crops able to deal with low water supply will be needed increasingly in arid areas, while other countries may demand extensive or organic agriculture for ethical and environmental reasons. A three-day meeting of 200 scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich - a research station at the leading edge of GM research - tried to reach consensus on how global farming could meet the likely food and other demands of 2020.
The guru of the "green revolution" of the 1960s and 1970s, Professor MS Swaminathan, said projections for foodgrains demand and supply in 20 years' time ranged between hope and despair, but with a whole range of technologies now available there were hopes for a revolution. "Most developing countries have no option except to produce more from less arable land and irrigation water resources," he said. "This is why there is a need for an evergreen revolution based on achieving continuous improvements in productivity without associated social or ecological harm."
Injecting a note of concern for the biodiversity of the countryside, particularly in developed countries, Professor Alan Gray, the director of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Dorset, said the challenge for the developing world was to find ways of reducing the environmental impact of increased intensification. He was optimistic that, given the political will, science would provide the global agricultural systems needed to feed an extra two billion mouths in 2020, as well as retaining an acceptable level of countryside biodiversity. "Tweaking the edges of conventional agriculture can have amazing effects," he said.
However, the third keynote speaker, Dr Barbara Mazur, of Dupont Agriculture products in the US, remained unshakeable in her view that biotechnology offered the best hope of meeting future demands. Her reply to questions on public acceptability of bio-engineered foodstuffs remained the standard company response of being "committed to safety".
At first sight this might have caused a knee-jerk reaction among consumer representatives, but Robin Simpson, the director of special projects with the National Consumer Council, conceded that, while he had not been the subject of Damascene conversion, he had been impressed by the seriousness of the wider implications of the conference.
"It is very difficult to be dogmatic about the situation worldwide. For example, there was a lot of discussion about the need to develop strains of crops that were low in their use of water and water is clearly something which will be a major issue fairly soon." But he pointed out that agronomic progress had the potential to create havoc with "demented policies" that lead to chronic oversupply.