GE organisms can reproduce and interbreed with naturally occurring organisms, spreading to new environments and future generations of living organisms in unpredictable and uncontrollable ways.

There are a variety of environmental concerns about the impacts of GE crops, including:

• Impacts on biodiversity;

• Impacts on soils and soil micro-organisms;

• Genetic pollution and contamination;

• Increased herbicide use to cope with herbicide resistant ‘superweeds’;

• Unpredictable long term ecological and evolutionary impacts.

2003 marked the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA. This highlighted the fact that many fundamental questions regarding the functioning of DNA and genes remain unanswered. Modern science has shown the mechanisms and controls of gene expression to be far more complex than first thought.

The fundamental basis for genetic engineering (GE) is a theory that dates from the 1950s and is now considered over-simplistic. The technology is crude and old-fashioned, and has led to many unexpected effects associated with GE organisms. Because the effects of GE crops on the environment and human health cannot be reliably predicted, no GE organisms should be released into the environment or the food chain.

Despite recent advances, scientists have a very limited understanding of genetics, biology and ecosystem complexity. They cannot therefore predict the effects on the ecosystem of GE organisms. The precautionary principle suggests extreme caution.

History has shown that the destructive consequences of new technologies may not become apparent for many years. In the case of GE, the products of the technology are living organisms which could not have evolved naturally. They are capable of reproducing, mutating and moving within the environment and have the ability both to affect, and be affected by, their surroundings. The consequences of releasing them into the environment cannot be predicted.

One thing is certain, however. Once harmful effects become apparent, it will already be too late. Damage caused by releasing GE organisms into the environment in many cases would be irreversible.

Traditionally, pollution is thought to break down and decrease over time. However, GE crops are a form of living pollution that can reproduce and spread. When cross-pollination occurs, this GE pollution cannot simply be halted or cleaned up.