Two sides of Rome, two sides on GMOs

The Vatican's Pontifical Academy of Sciences is sponsoring a May 15-19 "study week" in Rome on genetically modified organisms, led by German scientist Ingo Potrykus, a Catholic and the inventor of "golden rice." The meeting brings together roughly 40 scientists and activists, the vast majority of whom agree with Potrykus that opposition to GMOs is costing lives and standing in the way of a second "Green Revolution" in the developing world.

Meanwhile, a small demonstration Monday morning on the other side of Rome, far away from the Vatican, presented an anti-GMO Catholic voice not represented in the Academy for Sciences meeting. One placard read: “Pontifical Academy, do not ally with those who, promoting GMOs, contribute to hunger in the world.”

The following two interviews reflect the two sides of the debate, heard in two different parts of Rome. Professor Bruce Chassy is a food safety expert at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and is among the participants in the Vatican study week. He's strongly pro-GMO. Irish Fr. Sean McDonagh is a Columban missionary who organized Monday morning's anti-GMO protest. Both spoke to NCR; the following are excerpts from those interviews.

Fr. Sean McDonagh: GMOs are going to create famine and hunger

Professor Bruce Chassy: Resistance to GMOs works against the hungry and poor

Cameroon's Archbishop George Nkuo, lone African bishop at pro-GMO meeting: 'What am I to believe?'

Yesterday's story:

Vatican science academy pushes GMOs as safe way of feeding the hungry

By John L Allen Jr
While many church leaders from the grassroots to bishops are against the spread of genetically modified crops for environmental and justice reasons, the Vatican Academy of Sciences is increasingly in favor what it calls "life-sustaining and lifesaving technologies."