What are GM foods?
Genetically modified foods are from crops which have had their basic genes altered. Genes from one crop are copied by scientists and transplanted into another crop or species. Genes determine plant characteristics such as size, flavour and hardiness. By copying these genes they can be manipulated to produce other stronger, pest resistant and plentiful crops.

Is gene coping new?
Ever since farming began, farmers have bred crops to improve factors such as size, flavour and yield. However, this breeding evolved gradually and crossed genes between plants or animals of the same species. This kind of crossbreeding could have equally occurred naturally. GM speeds up the breeding process. New kinds of crops can be developed instantly, and controversially, it allows genes to be transferred across different species. It is even possible to cross genes from plants with genes from animals, producing hybrids that wouldn't and couldn't take place in nature.

What does GM mean to us?
According to the companies that have developed genetic modification it means more, better and cheaper crops grown with fewer pesticides. GM crops could also be designed to give us a new generation of 'functional' foods, containing extra vitamins and minerals. A GM rice has already been developed with extra vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency causes blindness in millions of people who live in developing countries, and the rice could be a major factor in reducing those numbers. As GM crops can be adapted to be grown in any environment, they could also be used in areas with problems such as drought or flooding.

So why are we so worried about GM foods in the UK?
Although GM crops are widely used in the USA and Canada, and on a much smaller scale in parts of Europe, they have met with overwhelming resistance in the UK. There are serious concerns about GM foods in 3 main areas: food safety, the environment, and the possibility that if GM food really took off, world-wide food production could end up effectively in the control of a small handful of profit-driven biotech companies. Many smaller farms could well be out of business.

What effect will GM crops have on the environment?
The single biggest environmental concern about GM crops is that they can't be contained in GM sites. Birds, bees and the wind are not controllable forces; once the crops are grown, their seeds and pollen will be spread, infecting non-GM crops, and transferring their modified genes to them. This effectively removes any remaining consumer choice, as there could be no guarantees that all crops wouldn't become GM crops.

This is a concern to anyone who doesn't want to grow or eat GM crops, and especially to organic farmers and consumers. Another concern is that genes from these crops may escape and spread to weeds, making the weeds virtually indestructible and able to spread and take over large areas of land. Finally, GM crops in other countries have proved so efficient that single crops are grown over wide areas. Less 'successful' crops are simply not grown any more, leading to monoculture. This kind of intensive farming poses a serious threat to wildlife, such as birds, bats and insects.

Are there GM Crops in Britain now?
There are currently no GM crops being grown on a commercial scale in the UK, but there are a number of field trials being carried out on crops. Prime Minister Tony Blair gave in to overwhelming consumer pressure when he agreed that no crops would be grown commercially for the next two years, but most consumer groups want a minimum five year ban, until we have had time to assess their effects. Currently, some of these test sites have already been destroyed by protesters!

How do I know if I'm eating GM food?
Foods that are made from GM ingredients have to be labelled as such, but foods that contain GM derivatives do not, for example, oil from GM soya. Buying organic is the simplest way to be sure of completely avoiding GM in the food chain. Cutting out processed food also helps. This is where the majority of non-labelled GM ingredients turn up, in the form of additives etc.

Are GM Foods Safe?
The only honest answer is nobody knows yet. That's why so many consumer groups and scientists in the UK don't want the crops grown or the foods sold here. Many scientists believe that combining genes from unrelated species upsets the basic functioning of food and has unpredictable consequences. There is a real fear that as genes from GM crops can be spread into other forms of wildlife, they can also be spread into the bodies of the people who eat them. This could have potentially harmful effects on our health. If GM foods can cause genetic changes in human biology, we would pass those changes on down the generations. It is just too soon for anyone to know the long-term effects yet so the controversy will carry on for a long time to come.