GM foods are older than we think

Ireland should be slow to become GM free, given what genetic modifications already have achieved and promise to accomplish By Rosemary Dolan

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been around for a long time.  Black   and white cows (Friesians), commercial poultry, Merino sheep and almost every modern food crop are all genetically modified.

The Green Revolution is so-called because of scientists' ability to genetically modify existing plant and animal species, which themselves had been genetically modified by natural selection over evolutionary time.

The understanding of Mendelian Genetics and the subsequent development of the sciences of plant and animal breeding in the last century has revolutionised food production throughout the world.

Friesian cows can now produce 40 - 50 litres of milk a day compared with unselected humped Asian and African breeds which produce 1-2 litres of milk daily. Today's hen lays 350 - 400 eggs per year compared with the jungle fowl's 20. And geneticists continue to improve these production rates. Likewise maize, rice and potato yields have increased fifty to a hundred fold.

Now geneticists have discovered that food production can be accelerated even further by inserting useful genes from one breed or   species into another (transgenics). The first transgenic mammal was a mouse into which the growth hormone gene from a rat had been inserted, and the result? A mouse the size of a rat!

The potential benefits of transgenics are enormous. Food production in Africa, for example, could be increased dramatically if the disease resistance genes of the local cattle could be transferred into the more highly productive imported breeds, or visa versa.

Recently a simple yeast organism through genetic modification has acquired a rat's sense of smell; it can now “sniff out” explosives by glowing like a jellyfish when it finds TNT.  A genetically modified virus that breaks down the colonies of bacteria that cling to medical devices could decrease the risks of the hospital superbug MRSA.

The concerns raised by the anti-GMO protesters are wide ranging; some   trivial, some real. But what real evidence is there about health and safety in relation to GM foods? To date there is little to substantiate the concerns.  There is no reason to think that there is anything in GM foods that make them more harmful than conventional goods.

In fact the truth is that the GM foods that appear on the supermarket shelves have gone through far more safety tests than the non-GM foods. Coffee contains huge amounts of toxins and isn't banned. In 2005, GMO protesters ruined the first and only trial of genetically modified  coffee in French Guiana.

There are concerns that genes from GM crops will spread to wild plant species and reduce biodiversity. It is most unlikely that there will be a wild species for a GM crop to hybridise with. No one is concerned about cat genes being passed into lion populations!

An understanding of the mechanisms of evolution allays fears about “species barriers”.  The DNA in mice and humans is broadly similar and the very concept of species is misguiding when considered over evolutionary time.

There are concerns that a few multinationals will take over world food production. Yes, the production of GM foods is profit motivated as are most other activities and science does not provide the answers to the rights and wrongs of the growth and power of multinationals. But is Monsanto any more of a threat to the planet than Ford or British Aerospace or General Electric or Microsoft or Google? Aeroplanes obviously have benefits but there is clear evidence that they kill and  cause considerable environmental damage.

The scientific case for ridding Ireland of cars or planes is much stronger than for ridding Ireland, or the world, of GMOs.  We will no doubt keep our cars and continue to fly abroad but we could help reduce our contribution to climate change by having genetically modified cows that digest their food better, fart less and produce less methane. And given that Ireland has more cows per square inch than any other country in Europe we could make a considerable  contribution to reducing our greenhouse gases through GM cows.

Transgenics is still in its very early stages and at present neither the benefits nor any possible hazards are fully apparent.

But the potential of the technology is exciting. It took 30 years for the Irish to appreciate the merits of the potato, so let's wait and see before we vote for a GM-free Ireland.

Rosemary Dolan is a geneticist