We need to usher in the future and move forward with biotechnology by using genetically modified food and feed in the UK, the NFU said today.
At an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the widespread commercial cultivation of GM crops Dr Helen Ferrier, NFU chief science and regulatory affairs adviser, argued for the use of GMC food and feed.
Dr Ferrier writes that with GM food now firmly established as harmless and with international use of GM food and feed much advanced, debating whether to use it in the UK is now a moot point.
Dr Ferrier said: “At the NFU, we have watched the adoption of GM technology in crop production over the last 20 years with great interest but weary acceptance that the UK is being left behind.
“We have long believed that British farmers must have access to the best tools to increase their productivity, resilience and profitability, and to compete in the global marketplace.
“With overwhelming evidence that GM food and feed are safe and with proven benefits to farmers, the environment and the economy, biotechnology is one such tool to secure our agricultural future.”