Consumer attitudes to GM crops are changing across the UK and Europe, was one of the opinions that came out of the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s conference - The Food Market in Turmoil - Strategies for Survival and Growth - last week.

Julian Little, chair of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council, addressed the conference with a list of opposing arguments to the use of GM crops that were used when the concept attempted to introduce itself in the UK 10 years ago, and compared them to society’s worries now.

“Peter Melchett [policy director of the Soil Association] tells us that there are no benefits to be gained from GM,” began Little. “So why are people talking about GM again? What has changed? Do people think that GM crops will not work in the UK? Or Europe? Are consumers as concerned as we are told?”

Little told delegates that in a recent Food Standards Agency consumer tracker in the UK, 40 per cent of consumers asked were concerned about GM produce, but 40 per cent were unconcerned. “Actually, people do recognise that GM has a place,” he said. “We started to talk about GM crops in the aftermath of the BSE and salmonella outbreaks, but now people are thinking about food security and price.”

Little maintained that more GM fruit and vegetables are being trialled throughout the world, with China leading the way. Chinese GM tomatoes, sweet pepper and papaya are currently going through commercial activity, following successful field trials and environmental releases, and GM chillies, potatoes and cabbage are on their way.

“China has a very good regulatory system; it has 213 people at the top making the decisions and it has nothing to do with individual companies,” said Little.

“And they no longer care about pre-regulations in the EU before they go ahead. China will no longer wait and we need to be aware of that in the food industry.”

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