Publication: Farmers Weekly Interactive
Date: Monday, December 03, 2007

Genetically Modified (GM) crops could be accepted across Europe in less than 10 years, despite the UK government’s “shameful” reluctance at present.

That was the prediction of Cranfield University’s Sean Rickard, speaking at the British Potato 2007 conference in Harrogate (28 November).

“Biotechnology is the next big technology driver in the world and the only way we can respond to the challenges of climate change is through GM. It is shameful of our government that we now lag behind the rest of the world.”

But the government had not dismissed the technology completely and public acceptance was increasing, he said. “In the next two or three years consumers will be prepared to experiment with GM. Once consumers and supermarkets stances’ change, things will move very quickly.”

The University of London’s Sir Colin Berry agreed. “Hundreds of millions of people worldwide have been eating GM crops for the best part of 15 years now, with no ill effects. Most questions have been answered and we’re ignoring a lot of positive things GM can offer.” The economic cost of not adopting GM technology had already been estimated at £2-3bn, but the UK had also lost much of its scientific expertise in this area to other non-European countries, he said.

Mr Rickard said the general public had an “irrational fear” of GM technology, whipped up by the media, and it was down to the farming industry and scientists to educate people about the benefits it could deliver. This was particularly relevant given a predicted 50% increase in world population by 2050, pressure to find alternatives to oil and the impact climate change could have on global cropping.