Earth Equity News

Prince Called 'Luddite' for Stance against GM Crops. By Jenny Wiggins and Jim Pickard, London Financial Times, August 14, 2008. "Prince Charles was branded a Luddite on Wednesday as his claims that a global shift towards planting more genetically modified crops would destroy the earth's environment met a withering response. The prince, who started his own organic food brand -- Duchy Originals -- 18 years ago... in an interview... accused companies of conducting a 'gigantic experiment with nature and the whole of humanity which has gone seriously wrong...' GM is increasingly being put forward as a potential solution to the spiralling cost of food... While environmentalists rushed to the prince's defence, there was a backlash from politicians, academics and industry figures. Phil Willis, chairman of the Commons science committee, said the use of science in farming had helped feed billions of people... Levelling the 'Luddite' charge, Des Turner, a Labour MP... added: 'Prince Charles has got a way of getting things absolutely wrong.' Syngenta... which develops GM crops, said... 'If we're going to feed the world we have to use every technology at our disposal.' The company said organic farming was harsher on the environment than GM technology. 'If you were to go organic you would have to double and triple the amount of land under cultivation... only by using technology will you protect wild spaces and biodiversity'... The prince won backing from Mike Childs... [of] Friends of the Earth, who said he had 'hit the nail on the head' about the 'false solution' presented by GM crops."