Topic: 2024-GMOs and Food Security
Country: Spain
Delegate Name: Sophia Plencner
Position Paper: GMO’s and Food Safety
Country: Spain
Committee: The Food and Agriculture Organization
Topic: GMOs and Food Safety
Introduction:
GMOs and food safety are highly relevant subjects in Spain. Spain’s farmers undoubtedly use GMOs to protect their crops and livestock, in turn keeping food shelf stable for longer amounts of time and provoking concerns. Spain is hesitant with the use of GMOs for food safety measures and has been for years. This position paper details Spain’s concerns, positions, and possible solutions to keep food safe for our buyers and citizens.
Spain’s Perspective:
Spain understands the positives and negatives of the use of GMOs. Not everything is known about GMO’s which makes it difficult to decide whether or not they should be used. Spain is specifically concerned about the following issues:
Sickness/Disease: The finding of increased risk of cancers, obesity, and certain diseases such as kidney and celiac, cause controversy on whether or not we should continue with our food safety programs.
Environmental: The loss of biodiversity in soil and water ecosystems is an enlarging concern.
Antibiotic resistance: Certain genetically modified crops and plants host genes that make them resistant to different types of antibiotics.
Spain’s Policy Positions:
Spain regards a parliamentary but international approach to decide if GMOs should be considered as food safety. The Key policy positions include:
Bring awareness to effects of GMOs: Spain is set on sharing the effects of genetically modified crops and foods to let farmers and consumers know the pros and cons of their use.
Make GMOs safer and more effective: Spain supports the development of safer and more effective GMOs by conducting tests on their crops.
Increase/decrease: Spain, based on findings, will either increase or decrease their use of GMOs within the country.
Additional research: Spain is supporting the awareness of GMOs by sharing their findings in research and studies.
Proposed Solutions:
To discuss the effectiveness of GMOs and food safety, Spain proposes the following solutions:
Immediate testing on genetically modified crops: Test already modified plants for certain harm factors to see if they are helpful or harmful.
Conduct studies: Decide if GMOs or non-GMOs are more likely to cause harm by conducting scientific studies and experiments.
Reach out to neighboring countries to get data: Get other countries’ opinions on use of GMOs and their data from previous research and testing.
Conclusion:
Spain is committed to finding problems with GMOs and working to improve their effectiveness and safety. By working together and with other nations, we can decide whether or not GMOs are actually safe for human and animal consumption, alter their makeup to safely protect our citizens and environment, and bring awareness to our findings.
