PERHAPS it’s because they take an age to grow and then fade into the landscape. Or it could simply be that we don’t eat them. Whatever the reason, genetically modified trees have never raised such fierce passions as GM food crops.
But this week, for the first time, a team of geneticists has tried to evaluate the risks posed by GM trees to native woods and forests. Critics of biotech have applauded the move, saying that, for once, we may actually have some evidence on the risks of GM plants before the debate begins in earnest.
GM trees are being…
