01 Jan 2006
GM crops created superweed

Somehow I missed this last July - basically, it's canola that crossed with carlock. And I don't think Monsanto can sue Mother Nature to prevent Her infringing their patent.

And perhaps my gloating is a bit premature, but I daresay it's beginning to look like I (and other contrary farmers) were right: the real danger from GM crops is not poison in the seed, but their ability to confer their resistance to their second cousins in the plant world. And I'll climb out on a limb and predict that the "solution" that the GM companies will proffer for this is more genetic engineering! Which will, of course, only exacerbate the problem.

"Laissez-faire!" is more than good advice for markets, sometimes it applies to Nature as well.

Modified genes from crops in a GM crop trial have transferred into local wild plants, creating a form of herbicide-resistant "superweed", the Guardian can reveal.

(link) [The Guardian]

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