SA Dabbles in GM Vineyards
After a 2006 application from the Institute of Wine Biotechnology (IWB) to conduct field trials of genetically modified (GM) Sultana and Chardonnay grapevine varieties was denied, South African authorities have now given the go-ahead for open-air field trials of grapevines genetically modified to resist fungal disease. This, despite failed fungal resistant GM grapevines in German trials several years ago.
The 2006 application was objected on the grounds that the risk of contamination of adjacent fields was very high, posing a risk to South Africa’s lucrative export market.
‘Contamination is a real threat as seed can be transported by birds or rain and could put our export market at risk for a technology that has already proven ineffective.’ – The African Centre for Biosaftey’s Haidee Swanby.
The obvious argument supporting GM grapevines is the ability of GM crops to resist targeted pests, hence reducing the need for increasingly toxic chemicals which are not only a health risk but also threaten farmer incomes.
Could GM vineyards be the way forward, or are we dabbling in dangerous territory…?
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
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