Genetically Modified Wheat - escaping into the wild

The use of genetically modified (GM) crops particularly wheat is a highly controversial topic and GM crops are currently strictly controlled at point of origin and GM wheat is not approved for commercial use anywhere in the world. Despite exacting controls however GM wheat does escape from test farms and has been shown to actually be capable of replacing natural grown wheat where the two come into contact. Agricultural biotech giant Monsanto has been the main operator, researcher and developer of GM crops but has been at a loss to explain GM wheat materialising in non research locations such as the farm in Oregon this year. The original GM wheat test programme was ended in 2004 and the GM material was destroyed yet this farm was found to have GM wheat 9 years later and was not even part of the actual GM test programme.

Similar experiences have been found with testing of GM crops in Australia where there is a high potential for cross contamination with natural wheat. Japan and South Korea immediately halted wheat imports from the United States until the wheat had been tested for GM traces. Australia would do well to remain cautious about the use of GM crops given the almost non-existent information on downstream impact and longer term human health.