Genetically modified crops: Ignoring genetic engineering at our own peril

Some British newspapers have been reporting the imminent harvest of a variety of nutrition-enriched genetically modified (GM) crop in the UK. It is a crop called camelina, also called false flax, a plant that usually grows in the Mediterranean. An institute called Rothamsted Research has tweaked the plant's genes and produced a variety that is full of omega-3 fatty acids, normally found only in oily fish.

Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is supposed to be beneficial in a number of ways, and so this crop would provide the first real chance for vegetarians to get the vital nutrient through their normal diet. This would be great news for many people, but what is equally important is the fact that GM crops are set to finally break the resistance in Europe.

Despite considerable opposition from various pressure groups, GM crops are slowly advancing in Europe, with regulators relenting in several countries. Two months ago, almost all the environment ministers in Europe - only two countries resisted - decided to let individual countries follow their own course: whether to allow or not allow the cultivation of GM crops.

This will let the pro-GM countries go ahead with their plans, which will probably force the rest to consider GM crop trials and commercial launches. For some time now, Europe is cited as a model - often wrongly - to those around the world to resist commercial cultivation and even research in GM crops.

If Europe cultivates GM crops on a large scale, resistance will slowly reduce in China and African countries, and later in India as well. All these countries have so far seen some resistance against GM crops. China, despite funding GM crop research, has been reluctant to commercialise these widely.

Africa has been uneven in its acceptance, with countries like South Africa being adopters and other countries like Tanzania and Kenya holding out. India commercialised Bt cotton more than a decade ago, but progress of GM crops in the country has been slow since then.

From a scientific viewpoint, genetic engineering is like atomic energy; it depends on how you use it. So while it is difficult to say that all GM crops are bad, there could be situations where they would do some damage, depending on the genes that one chooses to introduce.

Most of the genes being tried now are known to be safe. It is highly unlikely that they will cause damage to our agricultural system, but it is impossible to prove it the other way.

The only option is to put them through trials, and then proceed with caution if they seem to be safe. One shouldn't judge the merit of a gene based on where it came from. We all have bacterial genes in our bodies. Not conducting field trials, as is often advocated in India and some other countries, will backfire at some point.

Sometime in the future, countries that resist GM crops will begin to see their benefits elsewhere, and then face a situation where they have to adopt when faced with an agricultural disaster. It is almost certain that humanity will find it difficult to feed everybody by mid-century without some serious technological advances.

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Genetically modified crops: Ignoring genetic engineering at our own peril