GM crops and developing countries: a UK food group briefing, July 2003

This short two page briefing argues that in most developing countries, whose small-scale, labour-intensive agriculture is dramatically different from the UK, GM crops are at best irrelevant and at worst can threaten local food production. The authors argue that there is no scientific, economic or ethical justification for asserting that GM crops are necessary for eradicating hunger in the developing world.

Conclusions and suggestions include:

• it is too early to make an assessment of the effects of GM crops in most developing countries, let alone to take critical decisions that would encourage the rapid spread of GM crops in these countries
• considering the history of globalisation, the potential knock-on effects of policy choices in the UK should be part of global public policy decisions
• in relation to food, production must increase where there is hunger i.e. in rural areas in developing countries, because of failures in markets and other livelihood opportunities