Public opinion has swung behind genetically modified crops for the first time after decades of opposition, according to a survey.
For many years polls have indicated that Britons are overwhelmingly skeptical of crops that are genetically engineered to resist disease, repel pests or produce more food.
No genetically modified (GM) food is grown in the UK because of stringent European Union regulations.
[UK] ministers [are] weighing up plans to hold the world’s first open-air trial of GM “superwheat”. The government has also said it was considering a dramatic liberalisation of GM food laws after Brexit….. . . .
In a poll of 2,000 people, carried out by Populus for the agrochemical company Bayer Crop Science, two thirds of respondents said that they would support GM food so long as it did not harm public health or the environment.
Fifty-four per cent said that they agreed with the crops in principle and a further 10 per cent said they were the only way to feed a growing global population. Only 27 per cent said that they could not countenance the method.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Two thirds of public would back growing GM crops, study claims
