Ignoring the possibilities genetically modified foods represent in tackling global food shortages in the future would be a grave mistake, ex-Northern Foods chairman Lord Haskins has warned.

Speaking at last week’s seventh annual City Food Lecture, he said: “Campaigners against GM foods warned against the dangers to human health, which have proved to be completely wrong, whilst the developers of GM initially suggested that there was no environmental risk, which was also a false claim.

“Genetic modification is one aspect of bioscience which can both increase yields per hectare, and reduce the environmental harm caused by existing farm methods. If plants can be grown with a natural resistance to disease and predators, they will be more productive, but there will also be less need for fungicides, herbicides and pesticides, thereby increasing the biodiversity of the land. So rather than worry about the potential dangers arising out of genetic modification, we should be championing its potential benefits," said Haskins.

“There is no doubt the actual development of GM needs to be scrupulously tested and re-tested. There are risks involved in all scientific developments, and these need to be evaluated carefully before approval. But having decided the risk is either negligible or acceptable, the science must be supported,” he added.

Professor David Harvey, professor of agriculture economics at Newcastle University, speaking during the ensuing panel discussion, corroborated Haskins’ view. “It would be a disaster to stand in the way of new technologies, especially GM. Nobody would buy GM foods at the moment, but we are going to need it in the future to breed drought- and saline-tolerant varieties that can combat climate change.

“But if you leave GM in the hands of the private sector, it will only benefit the world’s richest countries - in order for GM to benefit the developing world, which really needs it, the world’s government’s have to increase and sustain R&D into it,” he added.

A show of hands from the audience showed a majority in favour of developing GM technologies.

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