The Economist On Hawaii’s GMO Debate
The magazine says the lack of data on pesticide use “sows only seeds of discontent.”
This week’s edition of The Economist explores a subject that will be familiar to anyone who follows Hawaii news: the debate over the cultivation of genetically modified crops in the Aloha State and their associated pesticide use.
The magazine describes the role of the seed industry in Hawaii, and the results of a recent government-sponsored analysis that emphasized the need for better data.
“More detailed knowledge of the geographical co-ordinates and a survey of firms’ field-base maps could help determine more exactly how much of a restricted-use pesticide is being sprayed in one place at one time,” the article says. “Such information from seed companies, and the many others spraying away, would calm controversy; more accurate exposure testing and fairer regulation could follow.”
“The current dearth of data sows only seeds of discontent,” the story concludes.
