Why are GM crops being considered when the benefits are not clear?
The costs and benefits study (see section on GM Dialogue) concluded that the GM crops currently available may offer some benefits to UK farmers, but that future developments in GM crops could potentially offer more significant benefits. It is important to keep the door open to those future benefits. We also need to think about the competitiveness of UK farming. If farmers in other countries have access to GM crops this could put our farmers at a competitive disadvantage. In addition we need to consider the signals which our decisions on GM crops will send about the UK as a base for science and innovation.
