Knowledge the key to trust in GE

A scientist urges public debate on genetic technology. QUENTIN CLARKSON reports.

Consumers are reluctant to accept genetic engineering technology, mainly because they do not know enough about it, says an Australian research leader.

Dr Jim Peacock is plant industry chief of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). He says public confidence in genetic engineering must increase to make it acceptable.

At the Ruakura Dairy Farmers Conference in Hamilton, Dr Peacock urged researchers to publicly debate the risks and benefits of genetic engineering so consumers' knowledge - and confidence - increased.

An Australian study last year showed 50 per cent of people had never heard of gene technology, he said. Of those who had, 42 per cent thought the benefits outweighed the risks, while 38 per cent would try genetically modified foods if they cost the same as unmodified food but were of better quality.

More than 40 per cent did not know enough about GE to make a decision.

"Gene technology is not a magic bullet," he said. "It is a highly effective tool for advanced plant and animal improvement."

Dr Peacock was impressed with the genetic gains New Zealand had made with cows, but not impressed with the gains made in pasture.

Commodity prices were drifting down by 10 per cent a year, he said. Improvements in biotechnology were the only way to improve this.

Dr Peacock said about 40 million hectares of genetically modified plants were grown globally last year - a 50 per cent increase on 1998. GE crops were worth about $3 billion annually.

He said New Zealand's moratorium on GE could prove a positive move. "I am hopeful it will not develop into a negative force which could isolate New Zealand agribusiness and consumers from the benefits which will flow from gene technology."

Though the media had focused on transferring genes from species to species, Dr Peacock said many breeders did not want to introduce new characteristics in crops or pastures. They wanted to slightly adjust existing characteristics.

Gene markers - sections of DNA acting as a "flag" to tell that a needed gene is present - had speeded up traditional plant research from many months to a few hours.

Dr Peacock said the three phases of gene technology provided benefits for growers, consumers and the pharmaceutical and industrial chemical industries.

In the first phase, it was important to develop herbicide tolerance and insect resistance in plants.

Second phase benefits included such things as increasing the amount of available iron in rice by adding a haemoglobin gene, and modifying oilseeds to boost the level of healthy oils.

Third phase benefits included producing oils in plants to be used in industrial processes, replacing fossil fuels. The CSIRO team had also introduced measles virus proteins into plants, which could replace vaccines in developing countries.