HRH speaks out

[PLUMPUDDING]

My main concern over GM, particularly in this country is the possibility of cross pollination with other crops. They are inserting genes from other plants and animals contained in bacteria which attaches to the natural plant cells. They have little or no control of this contaminating other crops, particularly the brassica family and also other crops that are wind or bee pollinated.

I can see that GM potatoes should be a safer crop to control, and know there have been few if any health problems reported from eating GM crops, although there was something a couple of years ago about rats that had been fed on a GM food, can't remember whether it was potatoes or maize, that died.

I feel that Britain in particular is too small a country to isolate GM trials and crops. If in the future after much stringent testing in countries where they have enough space to prevent and control any cross contamination with natural crops, that it is shown to be a useful and safe thing to do, that it does not contaminate other plants, or harm insects and wildlife, then I would not have a problem with it, but at the moment everything points to there being no safe way to stop it contaminating other crops or having a damaging effect on bees and other insects. A huge disaster could be created by the crops in which they have insterted the "terminator" gene in particular, crossing with anything else as the seed would be unviable the following year and people would be totally dependent on buying new seed from the chemical companies every year.

When we mess about with nature we often come a cropper. Look what happened when farmers fed herbivores on animal derived food products.

There needs to be much more testing by government scientists totally independently from the people wanting to sell it, but as I say - not in our little country. There is too much risk to wildlife and naturally grown crops.

[Colin Miles]

As so often happens, stories get distorted and then refuse to die. Thus last year you had the one where rat cysts (fed GM potatoes) turned into tumours amongst other things - see
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... ce.science

and below is a bit from the Royal Society report on feeding GM potatoes to rats in 1997.

As so often happens, the devil is in the detail and it also shows 2 of the main problems which the web suffers from - chinese whispers and conspiracy theories.

Review of data on possible toxicity of GM potatoes

The Royal Society published a review of what was known scientifically about the suitability of GM plants for food use in September 1998. Because of the current controversy, we are looking again at several issues, and in particular we have reviewed all available data relatedto work at the Rowett Research Institute on the possible toxicity of genetically modified potatoes. Our main conclusions are as follows.
1
The safety of GM plants is an important and complex area of scientific research and demands rigorous standards. However, on the basis of the information available to us, it appears that the reported work from the Rowett is flawed in many aspects of design,
execution and analysis and that no conclusions should be drawn from it.
2
We found no convincing evidence of adverse effects from GM potatoes. Where the data seemed to show slight differences between rats fed predominantly on GM and on non-GM potatoes, the differences were uninterpretable because of the technical limitations of the experiments and the incorrect use of statistical tests.

[Cider Boys]

If anyone is in doubt of the fact that our population is living longer (despite the diagnosis and treatment of many ailments by modern technology) contact the pension companies they will confirm the fact.

I respect Plumpudding’s worthwhile concerns regarding GM but on balance can see that the likely benefits make our country’s involvement as crucial.

The organic brigade has now lost the argument and are now scurrying around trying to justify their existence by moving the gaol posts likewise the fascist attitude of ‘some anti GM’ demonstrators hell bent on the destruction of any scientific study of GM food production will in time also be seen as luddite.

Surely the responsible course of action is to embrace GM trials notwithstanding the worthwhile concerns mentioned by Plumpudding.

Pragmatism will prevail, even Rachael de Thame admitted to using Glyphosphate on the BBC last night!!!

Best wishes

Barney