Research recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences report

The latest report from the US National Academy of Sciences is definitely worth a read (free to download). It is an extremely thorough review of the literature, concluding that the GM crops currently available are safe to eat and pose no greater threat to the environment than conventional crops.

I can’t possible summarise the report in a blog post, but a common theme was the need for more research. This wasn’t surprising given that some of their conclusions were ‘experts disagree’, particularly on issues such as the impact of intellectual property.

There was one recommendation which particularly attracted my attention: a need for more investment in crops that aren’t attractive to private firms. Seems obvious, and it was the statement which followed that was particularly interesting: “However, there is evidence that the portfolio of public institutions has shifted to mirror that of private firms more closely.”