Reaping the biotech harvest

Published: April 1 2002 18:32 FT.com

Most technological advances bring benefits and risks, though the latter may be hard to predict. This is particularly so with genetically engineered crops that promise higher yields, pest-resistance and better quality products but raise fears of damage to the environment. India's decision last week to approve the use of genetically modified cotton reflects growing confidence in emerging markets that the potential benefits outweigh the possible risks. Brazil could follow suit within weeks if its federal appeal court lifts a ban on genetically engineered soyabeans.

India and Brazil have been the biggest stand-outs against agricultural biotechnology that has already been adopted by other developing countries such as China and Argentina. Others may now follow suit, in spite of possible difficulties in exporting such crops to Europe, where consumers are resistant to genetically modified foodstuffs. The benefits of the new technology are too great for developing countries to ignore.

European concerns largely stem from unsubstantiated health fears that the reassurances of politicians or scientists have failed to allay. There are, however, three environmental concerns about genetically modified organisms that raise substantive issues, both for the scientific community and for those countries that approve their use.

The first is the impact on biodiversity if genetically modified crops damage other plant or animal life. History is full of the unintended environmental consequences of human action, such as the introduction into Australia of six rabbits whose tens of millions of descendants destroyed native flora and fauna. Biotech crops require careful field trials to avoid similar effects when introduced into new environments.

The second is the consequences of genetically modified crops interacting with other plants. For example, cross-pollination could transfer herbicide-resistant genes to other plants, producing "super-weeds". If farmers were forced to use more pesticide against super-weeds, that would undermine the environmental benefit of growing genetically engineered crops that need less spraying.

The third consequence is the emergence of super-pests, resistant to the genes in biotech crops. That happened with earlier generations of chemical pesticides; and resistance to toxic genes in crops has already been found in some insects.

There are management techniques for preventing the emergence of resistant pests but they require vigilance by farmers and careful monitoring by regulators. Developing countries approving biotech crops must create effective regulatory institutions to ensure that the undoubted benefits are not eclipsed by their environmental consequences.