n GM foods: is it time to put them back on the shelf? The Grocer's latest debate in a packed London venue pitted organics champion Patrick Holden against GM pioneer Hugh Grant of Monsanto. If the audience had expected heated, intolerant exchanges they instead found constructive dialogue providing a lesson or two for food chain unity. The Grocer's news team report Hugh Grant may have won the vote at the end of the debate for the GM camp. But the feeling among the sell-out audience was that the real winner of the evening was relations within the food chain. For the first time, passionate advocates from opposing camps had been able to come together to put their cases in public without any of the rancour and anger that has often marred the issue of GM food. Dialogue had replaced discord. But the evening also demonstrated that there is still a massive gulf between the two sides. Hugh Grant argued that consumers should be offered the choice of whether to buy GM foods. But Patrick Holden warned that introducing GM food would eventually destroy choice because genetically modified organisms would progressively contaminate non GM crops until there was no GM-free produce left. The audience played their part in generating an in-telligent discussion with probing questions for both speakers. Lord Melchet, an advisor to the Soil Association, challenged Grant about the popularity of GM foods in North America, claiming there was pressure for labelling of GM foods in Canada and Mexico, and said recent research in the US found the majority of consumers were concerned about the safety of GM food. But Grant said the figures did not bear this out, with massive increases in the global acreage of GM crops and pressure from farmers in countries such as the Philippines and China for more GM seeds. But Holden described the roll-out of GM crops as "environmental vandalism" and a "horror story". He warned: "The crops are being rolled out, but we don't know what's going to happen. It scares me." Holden was asked whether there were any proven health risks to GM foods and admitted none had been conclusively proved. However he said: "If something did go wrong the consequences would be catastrophic," and warned it could even take several generations before ill effects manifested themselves. Martin Paterson, communications director of the Food and Drink Federation, asked Grant what products he would launch in the UK market if he had the chance. Grant said there was already approval for soya beans, and there were opportunities for products containing soya, but it would depend on the wishes of retailers and producers. Craig Sams, chairman of the Soil Association, pointed out that in the US, where GM crops are widely used, agricultural subsidies have increased dramatically, while the trend in the EU has been to reduce Common Agricultural Policy subsidies and promote sustainable farming. Grant said: "Biotechnology is not an answer to make subsidies go away ­ but there is a need to produce more food and biotech is one way." Professor Ralph Blanchfield of the Institute of Food Science and Technology asked Holden whether he could envisage accepting a GM product because of its benefits. Holden said: "We can see no place for GMOs in agriculture. In medicines, where people elect to use non viable GM treatment, it is not for us to deny them. "But the risk of any GMO in the environment is great enough in scale that we should take the same precautions as in medicine and allow none to released into the environment." Grant admitted that Monsanto had made some errors when it introduced GM foods into the UK, and a consumer backlash resulted in them being taken off the shelves. He said: "We underestimated the need to communicate early and for dialogue." But he also pointed out that the BSE crisis was at its peak at the time and there were widespread suspicions about food safety among UK consumers. In the US, where consumers are much more confident about the safety of their food, many readily accepted GM foods. Both speakers agreed that more debate was needed about GM foods. Grant said: "Dialogue on GM foods and the benefits they bring is a step in the right direction." Holden said: "We need to have debate over the whole world over how plants and animals are developed. Organic has not won the war, but by excluding GMOs we have created a buffer zone." But Monsanto's man won on the night. Delegates were able to vote before and after the debate using an electronic handset. This showed 52% had been in favour of putting GM back on the shelves before the debate with 48% against, but after the debate the winning margin had risen to 64% in favour with 36% of delegates against. l See Opinion, p16 {{NEWS }}