Site of the Week
CropGen http://www.cropgen.org
The genetically modified (GM) foods debate is a huge and complex one, and there are many questions for which it can be hard to get understandable answers. What is genetic modification? Are there really benefits, and are there any causes for concern? Where do I go to find out more?
We’ve reviewed the Friends of the Earth http://www.foe.org.uk and Greenpeace http://www.greenpeace.org.uk websites, both of which are excellent sources of information on environmental issues. Both are strong opponents of GM foods - so here’s one of the other sides of the coin, in the form of a website being launched this week.
CropGen, a new advisory service which aims to “help achieve a more balanced debate about GM crops in the UK,” consists of a panel of independent scientists, including plant biologists, biotechnologists and geneticists. As well as providing explanations of the issues and their views on scientific and political developments in the field of GM science, they offer a question and answer service, where you can email or phone with your own points or queries for the panel to tackle.
The contents of the site is not vast at present, but as more questions get answered and posted on the site, more info will be available. The explanations so far are good in some places but patchy in others - so go to the contact section and use the opportunity to probe them further. If you want to get more pro-GM reading, the links section will take you far and wide. (You already know where to go to research the arguments against.)
Whether you’re curious or deeply skeptical about the GM issue, it can only be a good thing to get as much information of all kinds to help you make up your mind. If you don’t agree with points made by CropGen - or by Greenpeace for that matter - get emailing, challenge them, and make sure you get some answers for yourself.
Richard Northover
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