IFST welcomes the European Council’s decision to give member states more flexibility to deal with GMOs on their own territory. We hope that this change in legislation will lead to the controlled growth of GM crops in the UK.
While we see this as positive for the UK, we hope that other European nations will also take this opportunity to thoroughly examine the now significant scientific evidence before making any decision to ban GM crops.
IFST has previously stated the important role that food scientists and technologists can play in the responsible introduction of GM techniques provided that issues of product safety, environmental concerns, information and ethics are all satisfactorily addressed.
The scientific evidence indicates that GM crops are safe to humans and the environment. Given GM technologies offer the potential for a number of benefits to future food security, as well as nutrition, it is important for the UK to be open-minded over the introduction of GM technologies. At the same time, it will be important for researchers and legislators to maintain an open and transparent dialogue to address any concerns that the public may have regarding GM.
We hope that the UK scientific and research community will play a key role in the potential future introduction of genetically modified crops through continuing research and ensuring open communication of the issues from a balanced and scientific standpoint. Only in this way may the benefits that this technology can confer ultimately become available, not least to help feed the world's escalating population in the coming decades.