During last month's French Corn Growers Association (AGPM) annual meeting, several hundred farmers expressed their support for agricultural biotechnology.

Support for biotech crops came from the audience following the announcement that almost 1,000 hectares of biotech corn had been planted this year and one farmer was cheered after he disclosed that he grew biotech corn and was happy with it.

AGPM's president urged the agriculture ministry to move quickly to implement the E.U.'s biotech release directive so French farmers could use the technology, and he asserted that French farmers had resolved issues of coexistence of biotech and non-biotech crops from two years of research. There was also a call made for more research into drought tolerance and emerging diseases.

Farmers also had an opportunity to see a presentation about biotech corn production in Spain and how it has increased farmer's profits and reduced the amount of pesticides used.

Former Minister of Education Claude Allegre criticized the precautionary principle, commonly invoked by biotech opponents, characterizing it as "Piege a Cons" (a trap for idiots). The argument is used by opponents of biotechnology who claim biotech crops will contaminate conventional crops. Using that reasoning, Allegre said, one could expect "a dog could mate with a canary."

Other presenters noted that China and India have accepted biotechnology and called on French and EU leaders not to let farmers fall behind.