THREE years ago, a scientist in Scotland called Arpad Pusztai claimed that the genetically modified potatoes he had fed his rats made them ill. The resulting furore sent questions about the safety of GM food hurtling around the globe, confirmed Britain as a nation of GM sceptics, and added personal health fears to what might otherwise have seemed a list of distant environmental concerns.
Since then we have seen the world split into two camps. Some countries, many in Europe, have imposed bans on importing and growing GM crops. Others, notably the US, have grown, cooked and eaten them without…
