There’s scandal at the Food Standards Agency (FSA)!!! They stand accused of being in bed with big biotech industry: whilst they are meant to be independent of both industry and government, they are said to be pushing a pro-GM agenda, of masterminding public PR campaigns to pervert the public’s perception in favour of GM. The FSA have been tasked with setting up a dialogue with the British public to research opinion on GM, to basically find out if the public want GM food on supermarket shelves, but two members of the advisory board have quit in protest of the FSA’s conduct.

The issue of GM is often portrayed as big business on one side wanting to create “Frankenstein” food and a defenceless public on the other having unnatural gunk thrust down their throats. We don’t trust big business instinctively, firms like Monsanto and Bayer are believed to have their HQ in the fiery belly of volcanoes guarded by sharks  (probably genetically modified ones) with fricken’ laser beams attached to their heads.

This image has understandably not helped the progress  of GM, despite much independent academic research contributing to the development of GM, the public still see it as the world domination plan of evil corporations. Not that firms like Monsanto have been shining beacons of good practise of course, there have been incidents, but to take such stubborn opposition on a technology because of the big business which is involved is like not using computers because you quite rightly hate Apple and Microsoft.   

Environmental groups look like the good guys as they stand up to big business and big government, but all they’re really doing is standing in the way of technology that is already helping millions across the globe. I admit, GM is of limited use in this country, but dogged objection to anything possibly “tainted” by the evil hand of a scientist is just ridiculous and anti-progress. The EU has a zero-tolerance for GM in foodstuffs meaning our food bills are higher and research in the field is restricted thanks to a no-go-zone in the world market. I know it’s clichéd to point it out, but there has always been objection to new technologies, it takes time for people to come round to and feel comfortable with yet another “playing god” scenario – but they always do. Most of the world is already enjoying the environmental, economic and health advantages that GM brings.

I think our government should be pushing a pro-GM line, I want progressivism that looks to improve the world through rational means based on experiment and results. Environmental groups are entrenched and anti-progress. Government initiatives should work with and highly regulate the industry, which is leading the innovation in GM, to benefit the world’s poorest and not protect European farmers or the ignorant traditional values of our society’s loud minority.

A dialogue with the public would certainly yield some interesting results, I’d love to know what the public think, but you’re not going to get an unbiased response. For years we have been subliminally told GM is bad: so many restaurants as a matter of course state that their food is free from GM – they might as well also tell us it’s free from arsnic and DDT because there’s just as much (or little) chance of that turning up on your plate too. We live in a world where the word “natural” is thrown around with such abandon that no-one stops to think whether it’s applicable, or even what it means.

I hope our government looks at the science – get’s someone to explain it to them – and then writes a policy that regulates the industry and ensures that the technology is used to benefit people and the environment. Because despite what Greenpeace will have you believe, there are many success stories out there far out-numbering the few (well publicised) bad ones.