WEDNESDAY April 2, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) --
Romania has
been one of the most receptive markets for genetically modified crops, but the environment
minister said the country is reconsidering its stand on genetically modified
(GM) corn, iht.com reported.
Attila Korodi, the environment minister said he would ask a
committee of experts Thursday to re-assess a GM corn, MON810 that is produced
by Monsanto Company, the only genetically modified crop that has been approved
for commercial planting in the
Europe.
Korodi said no enough studies had been conducted to gauge
the effects of this crop on ecological systems in
Romania.
Also, he said, banning genetically modified crops could
increase rural prosperity by allowing farmers to grow and produce organic feed
and foodstuffs to meet a growing global demand.
In the United States, 45 percent of corn acreage was for genetically modified corn in 2004, according to
The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology. Critics said the safety of GM corn along with other GM crops has not been adequately evaluated.
Read iht.com for more details on the story.
