There is a "fear factor" around GMOs because we are dealing with DNA - but it's a process that also occurs in nature. The humble kumara that we eat is the result of bacteria inserting some genes to affect the plant hormone more than 8000 years ago. This made them bigger and better - and formed the basis of the kumara plants we eat today.
We use genetically modified products all the time. Most of the cotton used in clothing is from GM crops - which are bred to need fewer pesticides - which is better for the farmer and the environment.
Insulin and some vaccines are produced using GM bacteria - so a blanket ban on GMOs is short-sighted.
It has been 15 years since the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification reported back on its findings. At that stage GM research had already been in place for 10 years. After a quarter of a century it is time we reviewed our long-term plans for GMOs.
Putting our heads in the sand and saying "we don't like it, so we'll ban it" is not helpful. This technology has the ability to save species and create a healthier environment, so we need to talk about how and when it could be used. We may still want to hold off releasing it into the environment, but we need to have the conversation around when that could potentially be.
The research on GMO products is extensive, and New Zealand needs to keep itself in the game by continuing to develop this technology. We can't rely on other countries to do our research for us - they have no interest in kauri dieback or the potential loss of pohutukawa from myrtle rust.
But New Zealanders understand the importance of those trees to our history and our future.
Nobody can predict the future, and we've seen some pretty classic examples of failing to see the potential. Steve Wozniak was repeatedly rejected by Hewlett Packard when he suggested the personal computer, and now look how ubiquitous they are.
We need a long-term vision in New Zealand when it comes to GMOs, but it's clear we're not there yet.
GMOs undergo rigorous testing and are usually better evaluated for safety than non-GMO products, and the technology is advancing at a rapid rate. At the same time, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to actually decide what a GMO is, and how to identify it. Any maize-based products from the United States are likely to be genetically modified - and they don't have to declare it.
GMOs are just part of the toolbox New Zealand scientists need to keep our agriculture and horticulture industries competitive.
- Professor Peter Kemp is the Head of the Institute of Agriculture and the Environment at Massey University.
- Views expressed here are the writer's opinion and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz
