Greenpeace Lies About GMOs: Nobel Laureate Richard Roberts

Anti-GMO lobbies are getting in the way of science and farmers, said Nobel Prize winner Richard Roberts.

Millions of people around the world are against genetically modified crops. (Photo: iStock)

In a scathing talk at Amity University, Nobel Laureate Sir Richard Roberts said Greenpeace and other environmental lobbies are spreading lies about genetically modified organisms because it earns them a lot of money.

Roberts was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Phillip Allen Sharp for his contribution to the discovery of the mechanism of gene splicing.

Every single major science academy in the world has come out and said GMOs are safe. But Greenpeace and other green parties continue to deny it because this is the very best fundraising they have ever had. They have made huge amounts of money in funding as a result of being anti-GMO.

Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate

Activist organisations like Greenpeace and Vandana Shiva’s Navdanya have successfully blocked the introduction of genetically modified crops around the world. Bt Brinjal was banned in India, and activists are working to stop the introduction of genetically modified mustard.

Also Read: In The GMO Controversy, Farmers Feel They Aren’t Being Heard

Genetically modified crops are bred to fight some common agricultural problems like disease, pest infestations and variable weather. They are created in labs and often involve inserting altered DNA from another plant or bacterium into the new plant.

Anti-GMO activists claim this process is unnatural and could produce unanticipated mutations that could be devastating for the planet.

But that’s not the case, said Roberts. And banning GMOs means farmers can’t get access to the tools they need to cope with changing climate conditions, like hotter temperatures and droughts.

[India needs] better crops, you know? The monsoons are changing, you’re not getting the same rains you used to have, you’re going to need drought resistant crops, you’re going to need a lot of changes being made. You can’t do that through traditional breeding.

Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate

Instead of helping small scale farmers, which they claim to support, the lobbies end up helping big agricultural businesses, he added. By fighting for GMOs to be carefully regulated, organisations like Greenpeace ensure that only large businesses can afford to meet regulations, like extensive testing.

These activists should admit that the science overwhelmingly indicates that GMOs are necessary to address the world’s agricultural and nutritional challenges, said Roberts.

We now have 30 years of experience, we now know that it’s perfectly safe. There has not been one documented case of any problem, and there have been thousands upon thousands upon thousands of hectares of these crops. Not one incident.

Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate

Also Read: Unpacking Genetically Modified Crops: Are They Really So Scary?

Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior, an icon on the environmental movement docked at Pier in Zadar, presentation of solar and wind energy achievements. (Photo: iStock)

As part of his campaign against those opposing GMOs, Richards has met with prominent leaders.

Prime Minister Modi, he understands that GMOs are okay, he’s very pro-GMO, but it is other members of the government that he unfortunately has to deal with. We live in a democracy.

Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate

Roberts also met with the Pope, head of the Catholic Church. According to Roberts, the Pope believes the science around GMOs is sound, and may speak in favour of the technology in the near future.

Roberts hopes that by involving religious leaders and global leaders, the fears around GMOs can be dispelled.

I don’t like people telling lies about science. Science is a very factual way of looking at the world.

Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate