| Q.
What are Genetically Modified (GM) foods?
A. GM foods are foods
which are produced from plants or animals which have had their genes changed
in laboratories by scientists. All living organisms have genes written in
their DNA. They are the chemical instructions for building and maintaining
life. By modifying the genes, scientists can alter the characteristics of an
organism. This allows them to grow more crops and make these crops resistant
to disease for example.
Q. What is
the Scottish Executive doing to regulate the growing of GM crops?
A. There is, at
present, no commercial growing of GM crops in Scotland, or indeed in any
other part of the UK. In November, an agreement was reached with the
biotechnology industry and farmers which ensures that no commercial growing
of GM crops will take place until the programme of farm-scale evaluations is
successfully completed. This should be done around 2003. No GM crops will be
grown or marketed commercially until they pass one of the most rigorous
regulatory systems in the world. The Executive, and the UK Government, will
not take any risks with either public health or our environment.
Q. Are there
any GM crops being grown in Scotland at the moment?
A. Yes, there are. What
we currently have in Scotland are a number of small-scale trial sites which
have consent to grow GM crops for research and development purposes. The
Executive believes that it is important to research the safety of GM crops
in such a way.
Q. Are there
not already GM foods available to buy in the shops?
A. At present there are
only three types of GM foods which are licensed for sale in UK shops or
restaurants. These are a tomato puree, a variety of Soya and a type of
maize. All of these were given licences by the previous Conservative
government. These foods are all properly labelled in order to ensure
consumer choice. None of these foods have been grown in the UK.
Q. Is GM food
safe to eat?
A. There is absolutely
no evidence that the GM food currently in products on sale are unsafe.
However, the Executive recognises that there are real consumer concerns over
the health risks from GM foods. It is in response to this that there will be
no commercial growing of crops until the safety of new GM crops is
determined. The crops currently on trial will have to pass the most rigorous
health checks before they will be declared safe.
Q. What are
the environmental implications of developing GM crops?
A. The Scottish
Executive is aware of the concerns from certain groups with regard to the
environmental risks of introducing GM crops into the environment. These
include fears about the possible cross-pollination of organic crops by
genetically modified ones and the implications for the environmental balance
if this occurs. These concerns can only be addressed by looking at the
results from the trial sites. Once again, the Executive, in liaison with the
Westminster Government and the European Union, will only sanction the
commercial growth of GM crops if all fears about the environmental
implications of developing these crops have been allayed.
Q. Why do we
need GM foods?
A. The possibilities
offered by the development of GM foods are exciting. If they can be proved
to be safe, both for consumers’ health and the environment, then much can be
achieved. Development of low-cost, affordable food could aid the lowest paid
in society.
On top of this, the
increase in the world’s population necessitates the agricultural sector to
look at new ways to adequately provide for everyone. The world’s population
has risen from 1.5 billion in 1900 to 6 billion today. By the year 2025, it
is estimated that this will rise to 8.3 billion. Present food production
techniques are insufficient to cater for this expanding population. Indeed,
it is estimated by the United Nations that in the next two generations our
world will consume TWICE as much food as has been consumed in the entire
history of humankind.
Q. So is the
Scottish Executive pro-GM foods or anti-GM foods?
A. Neither. The
Executive believes in promoting public health, the environment and allowing
consumer choice. In no way will genetically modified foods be allowed to
interfere with this. If they do carry real health risks, then they will not
be released for sale. If they are shown to damage the environment, then they
will not be grown commercially. No-one will be made to eat GM crops. Any
products containing them will be properly labelled in such a way as to
promote consumer choice. The Executive will not be bound by stubbornness or
ignorance. Only if GM crops pass some of the most stringent tests in the
world will they be passed as fit for public consumption.
Click
here to read the Parliament's debate on GM foods |
