GMO Africa

New study discounts GM crops gene flow theory

There has been an explosive debate on the effects of genetically modified (GM) crops on human health and the environment. Critics, especially the Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, have sought to cast GM crops as posing great threat to conventional farming methods. They contend that GM crops haven’t been tested enough and, therefore, threaten the environment and the health of consumers.

There are arguments out there, which haven’t been scientifically verified, that gene flow from GM crops can harm the environment. They have gained traction, courtesy of one or two reports affirming so, but which have been discredited by the scientific community. In 2002, for example, the journal Nature published an article that claimed genetically modified maize under field trials in Mexico had “contaminated” their conventional varieties. Anti-biotech groups celebrated the news, but one year later Nature backtracked on the report. In a statement, the journal said:

In the light of the criticisms and advice from referees, Nature has concluded that the evidence available is not sufficient to justify its publication of the original paper.

Since then, more and more research reports have been published that show the superficiality of the the so-called GM crops gene flow theory. Last week, for instance, researchers at the University of California - Davis, published a report that shows genes from GM crop plants pose no threat to the environment. The report by Kent Bradford and Pat Bailey appears on the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) web site. CAST is an international consortium of scientists and scientific organizations that promote public understanding of science and technology. A news article on this highly significant report is available on the UC Davis web site.

It’s imperative that those charged with the task of regulating genetically modified crops carefully scrutinize this report. Because it’s peer-reviewed, its findings should form the basis of approving or rejecting GM crops. Recently, I read a news article where German’s agriculture minister, Horst Seehofer, exhorted the European Union (EU) to “…make decisions to approve genetically-modified plants in Europe purely on the basis of science and do away with political voting on the matter.” A report like this of UC-Davis researchers would be useful to the EU. EU Commissioners should consider studying it, to enable them reach an informed decision on whether farmers should or shouldn’t be allowed to grow GM crops.