Choosing what may be seen as an importune time for his decision, Defra secretary Owen Paterson has intimated that he intends to call on EU decision makers to embrace GM technology this week.

The past month has seen a rekindling of the debate over the divisive issue of genetically modified crops, though media attention has been focused on the discovery of unlicensed GM wheat, found growing in an Oregon field, and the findings of a study, part-funded by the Australian government, which suggest that a diet of GM grains could affect pigs' health and wellbeing.  

Nevertheless, Paterson is expected to push for a relaxation of EU rules on GM crops this Thursday (20th June). Current strict regulations, and continued deadlock between pro-GM governments and more sceptical states within the bloc, have meant no new GM varieties have passed for approval since 2010 and the licensing renewal process for the Bloc's only commercially grown GM variety has dragged on since 2007. http://www.farming.co.uk/news/article/7774

The Defra secretary openly expressed his support for GM technology in December, ahead of his address at the Oxford Farming Conference. Science minister David Willits also gave his backing to GM crops at the Cheltenham Science Festival last week. Paterson has pledged to open up a debate on the prospect of GM crops being grown in the UK.

However, a previous assessment at a closed-door meeting with the heads of UK research institutes, government officials and biotech industry leaders found that UK farming in its current state is ill-suited to growing GM crops. Those assembled also acknowledged that public opinion remains a major barrier to rolling out the technology in the EU.

Paterson's proposal to allow EU countries to either approve or ban GM crops on a state-by-state basis has already been raised and rejected in debates between EU officials. The idea was first broached by Denmark, as a proposed compromise measure to end the Stalemate over GM regulation in Europe.

However, the compromise measure itself became too controversial and was abandoned on the basis that it did not offer adequate protection to states wishing to avoid GM; in January, Poland became the eighth EU state to ban cultivation of GM crops.     

Challenging week for GM advocates

Events of the past week may make Paterson's task of softening European regard towards GM crops and biotech companies more difficult. These include the release of an international study examining the growing problem of resistance to GM traits amongst the insect pests crops are designed to kill, a controversial new study of pigs carried out in a 'commercial' anvironment and the growing scandal over unlicensed GM wheat, which appears to have out-crossed from a trial conducted several years ago and grown wild in the North-Western United States.

At the start of the month, Monsanto became the latest biotech firm to announce that it would decelerate its lobbying efforts in Europe, in the face of growing anti-GM sentiment.

Although there is a suggestion that opinion amongst farmers is slowly shifting in favour of growing GM crops, a poll conducted last week by The Guardian showed 71 percent of respondents support maintaining or strengthening the EU's GM restrictions, not, as the Defra secretary suggests, undermining them. A Yougov survey also revealed opposition to GM still clearly outweighs support amongst the UK public.  

Responding to reports that Owen Paterson will be lobbying in favour of GM technology this week, Dr Helen Wallace, spokesperson for sceptic group GeneWatch asked, "Why should we pour money into developing and growing GM crops for which there is no market?" She elaborated, "The idea that GM crops survive droughts and floods is a fantasy promoted by PR companies, no such GM crops exist despite 30 years of wasted investment in this area. GM crops tolerant to herbicides are bad for the environment, bad for famers and expose consumers to increasing levels of the weedkillers sprayed onto these crops."

Last week, Defra approved the extension of an ongoing field trial of GM wheat being conducted at Rothamsted Research Institute.