Global Policy Forum

By Ian Sample

How are plants genetically modified? There are two main ways to do it. The first uses a natural soil bacterium called agrobacteria tumefaciens. In nature, these bacteria infect plants. Once inside the plant's cells, the bacteria wedge some of their own genes into the plant's genetic material. In the wild, this makes the plant produce damaging tumors. But geneticists can extract these tumor-causing genes from the bacteria, rendering them harmless, and replace them with genes for useful traits, such as pest resistance or herbicide tolerance. When plant cells are exposed to these modified bacteria, they transfer the useful genes to the plant instead of the disease genes. The second method is the gene gun. This fires tiny gold particles coated with genes that produce useful traits directly into a plant's cells. Both techniques have a high failure rate, so thousands of attempts are needed before the new genes integrate with the plant's genetic material.

How do GM crops work? There are two main types of GM crop being grown at the moment. The first can tolerate herbicides that wipe out all other plants. The idea is that farmers can spray their crop with a "broad-spectrum" herbicide that will wipe out every plant in the field except the crop. Since weeds compete for water, sunlight and soil nutrients, such GM crops might produce higher yields. They may also require less herbicide than conventional crops, so growing them may do less damage to the environment. The second major type of GM crop is modified to produce a toxin that kills pests that feed on it. So far, the most common is known as Bt cotton, a cotton plant modified with poison-producing genes taken from the bacterium Bacillus thurigiensis.

Why have a public debate about GM crops? In 2001, the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission, an independent body set up by the government to advise on biotechnology issues wrote a report called Crops on Trial. It stated that views on GM technology in the UK had become polarized and there was a need for a debate that engaged the public, so everyone could air their views. GM Nation? is the outcome, a six-week round of debates that kicks off today at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The debate then moves around, to Swansea, Taunton, Belfast, Glasgow and Harrogate.

Smaller, local meetings are to be set up by county councils who will use booklets, videos and CD-roms to stimulate their debates. The whole process is due to be wrapped up by July 18 when response forms filled in by people who take part in the debate will be collected and turned into a report that will be submitted to government. To hold your own debate, call GM Nation? on 020-7261 8616 for materials and guidance.

What are the issues people disagree over? There are many. Some people object to GM technology because it can be used to create unnatural organisms. For example, a plant can be modified with genes from another species of plant, or even an animal. Another concern is that genes used to modify crops could escape into wild plants, creating "super weeds" that are highly resistant to pests, or alter plants in other ways that might cause damage to the environment. Some worry that GM crops themselves might prove to be harmful to either wildlife or the people who eat the crops.

The concerns continue. If the go-ahead is given for growing genetically modified crops in Britain, some groups worry that genes escaping from the crops could pollinate non-GM crops that are being grown organically. This could ruin business for farmers whose livelihoods are based on organic produce, and reduce consumer choice rather than increase it. They argue that if GM crops are approved for cultivation in Britain, other crops will quickly be irreversibly contaminated. There are many more issues that divide opinion on GM technology.

Where are GM crops grown? The only GM crops that have been grown in Britain are for the government's Field Scale Evaluations, a four-year experiment to assess the impact of growing GM crops on the environment. Worldwide, GM crops are grown by at least six million farmers in 16 countries: the US, Argentina, Canada, China, Australia, Bulgaria, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, India, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain and Uruguay. The four main crops that are grown are soya beans, maize, cotton and oilseed rape.

Who makes GM crops? Monsanto produces more than 90% of crops worldwide. Another four companies, Syngenta, Bayer Cropscience, Dow and Du Pont produce the rest. The fact that production lies in the hands of so few multinational corporations worries some who feel the companies will have too much control over world food production, can pressure countries to buy their products and force more traditional farmers out of the market.

What is the benefit of GM crops? The pro-GM groups say GM crops can give us healthier food, produce more efficiently and in a more environmentally-friendly way. Giving the go-ahead to GM crops will also help Britain economically, as it will encourage biotechnology companies to invest in research and development in the country.

The anti-GM groups say only the biotech companies will profit, with no benefits to consumers. Few farmers will profit from them either, they argue. The potential risks of GM crops to health and the environment outweigh the risks of going ahead just to benefit the corporations, they say.

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