by Maria C Collins

Created on: May 23, 2008   Last Updated: August 28, 2009

A World Health Organisation scientist said recently that genetically modified food crops should be allowed by governments all over the World because there had not been any reported cases of adverse reaction. This is rather disingenuous, since because they are genetically modified, how do we know what they will do, long term, to our own genetic structure. Is this man saying that they are safe for expectant mums or babies to eat?

The second point is that no one knows what genetically modified crops will do to the environment. I saw an item on television recently that suggested that a genetically modified crop, which had been altered to make it pest resistant, had led to a lack of birds which fed on the pests in the area where the GM crop was grown, where before the growing of the genetically modified crop they had been plentiful.

Genetically modified crops can have animal genes added to them, some years ago a manufacturer had the bright idea of adding animal products to cattle food, the result was B.S.E. The manufacturer had obviously consulted scientists before adding animal products to the cattle food. Cattle are herbivores and it would seem that scientists don't realise that nature's rules are there for a reason and break them because they have the ability to do so. Hasn't science learnt its lesson yet?

Many people remember the tragedy of thalidomide, the drug which was originally formulated to treat insomnia in the elderly. It is now used to treat leprosy and may be useful in the treatment of particular cancers. Doctors in Europe in the fifties found it useful in treating morning sickness in pregnant women. Unfortunately no one realised that the drug could affect unborn children and terrible birth defects were the result. This drug was formulated and tested by scientists, scientists do not know everything and can make awful mistakes.

The scientist said that the millions of hungry people in the World could benefit from Genetically Modified grain. Surely it would be far better to use the amazing work that is going on at Kew Gardens, The Eden project and The Royal Horticultural Society (and probably other centres of horticultural excellence in the World). Where they use ordinary and natural selective breeding methods to breed, for example, plants which are hardier to weather conditions or grain plants which require less water. Surely that is better than using a technology which may have long-lasting, unforeseen and unintended results. Is this man saying that the poor of the World should serve as guinea pigs for a scientific experiment?

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