Genetically Modified Crops

Mr. Dunne
8. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the contribution of genetically modified crops to food supplies in developing countries.

Mr. Thomas
The Department for International Development (DFID) has not made a specific assessment of the contribution of genetically modified (GM) crops to food supplies. But there are examples where the use of GM crops is increasing food production—such as in the Philippines, where 300,000 hectares of GM maize was planted last year.

Genetically modified crops will not solve the problem of world hunger on their own. But biotechnology, including GM crops, does have a potentially important contribution to make, providing it is managed responsibly.