GM potato secretly planted in British farm
As much as I can in Genetics and Health, I try to stay away from the controversies of the GM food debate. There is so much that people don’t know, but need to understand about the entire science surrounding genetic engineering of plants and animals. But people’s opinions are so polarized that it’s hard to put sense into the arguments.
And that’s where I’m coming from in this, because I got so frustrated when I read this news at the Daily Mail (UK): “Defra trying to ’sneak GM trial under the radar’ despite contamination health fears”.
Here’s the thing: Leeds university scientists planted GM potatoes in their experimental fields and published that information on the government website. The GM crops were resistant to nematode worms, a pest that cost British farmers £65 million ($105 million) each year. But apparently locals weren’t informed that an experiment was going on in their backyard, and environmental activists warn that it could contaminate other plants. However, the university was granted permission to plant the crops by an independent advisory panel because there is no danger to human health or the environment.
The scientists had to install security cameras and fences (which cost £100,000/$164,000 to install) around the university farm because of danger from environmental groups and vandals. In the last five years, these groups destroyed all 54 attempts to grow GM crops on outside farms.
So here’s my beef. There is intrinsic potential value in genetically modified foods – better resistance to pests, more nutritional value, faster growth (so less planting time) and therefore better yield, better profit. The potential dangers are there too: cross-contamination with other plants, counter-resistance of pests to pesticides, and increased used of chemicals (fertilizer; pesticides).
BUT, how in the world are we ever going to know if GM crops are better or worse IF we don’t test them?! Duh. That’s why these experiments are going on, because scientists need to better understand how GM crops perform in the natural environment, not in the controlled setting of a greenhouse.
But it’s really not about finding out and understanding, is it?
Image: Flickr
Post from: Genetics & Health