Peter: So why are you so against genetically modified food then? I think you’ve been taken in by all the bad press.
Mary: No, that’s not true. I’ve read up on the subject and I think there are just too many risks.
Peter: The GM foods that you get are probably safer than non GM foods.
Mary: Don’t be daft. Where’ve you got that from?
Peter: Well, there are tighter controls for GM food.There are controls in each country and then at a European level as well. If they pass through all of those controls before they reach the shops, they must be ok.
Mary: I just don’t like the idea of having my food altered. What’s wrong with the food we’ve always had?
Peter: We have to move with the times. The possibilities for GM food are endless.
Mary: What, redder tomatoes or bigger strawberries?
Peter: Yes, for one thing. But what about vegetables with a higher vitamin content or bananas with vaccines built into them.
Mary: What? (laughing)
Peter: It’s true. They’ve developed a way to produce bananas with the Hepatitis B vaccine.
Mary: Mm, not sure what I think of that. We haven’t done enough research, and playing around with crops is playing havoc with the wildlife. There are whole species of birds that are in danger of becoming extinct. Larks for example, they are rapidly decreasing in numbers, and it’s because of the chemicals they are using on GM foods.
Peter: They haven’t proved that.
Mary: Not yet, no. But it’s only a matter of time.
Peter: Mm.
Mary: And another thing that worries me is the power that a few food companies will have if we start to rely on GM food. They’ll dominate the poor countries even more than they do today.
Peter: They’ll feed them.
Mary: At a price, yes. Maybe. I’m worried about the food chain, too.
Peter: What do you mean?
Mary: Well, playing around with nature causes no end of damage to some plants and animals. When a species dies out or mutates, it has a knock on effect on the whole ecosystem.
Peter: I think you’re being cynical. You’re not giving GM food a chance.
Mary: Not cynical; just cautious.