Sustain member GM Freeze has welcomed a new study that shows a huge increase in the number of pest insects evolving resistance to the GM Bt crops engineered to kill them.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona and published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, found that over half of the Bt crop cases they studied (19 out of 36) showed either resistance that substantially reduced the efficacy of Bt crops (16 cases) or showed early warning signs of resistance (three cases). This is a marked contrast to similar studies in 2005, which identified only three cases of resistance.
GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill commented, 'This study confirms a very simple truth: if you try to outwit nature, it’s evolution that wins.' Read more here.
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Published Thursday 12 October 2017
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
