IEMA Book Club returned to discuss Seeds of Science by Mark Lynas. DEFRA is currently consulting on the future of Genetic Modification in the UK. This technique promises many benefits: higher yields (meaning more land for wildlife), fewer insect-killing chemicals, improved nutrition (especially in developing countries), and climate resilience. But many fear this technology is a cynical ploy by international corporations to tap farmers into a lifetime of debt and dependency.The author approaches the topic from a unique perspective. He was one of the original anti-GM activists in the 1990s, taking on Monsanto and scything fields of ‘Frankenfoods’. It was one of the most successful campaigns in environmental history, effectively closing Europe to GM for a generation. But is there more the argument?
