Plant breeders have concentrated mainly on those modifications which enable farmers to manage pest and weed control more efficiently and which extend the shelf-life of food products derived from the crops. Modifications under test which may be of more benefit to the consumer include the improvement of food quality, flavour and processing characteristics. Other modifications which increase yields through increased uptake of nutrients or by making plants more resilient to drought or other harsh conditions might soon become possible. If properly managed, these developments could be particularly important for the undernourished people of poorer developing countries. 8.5 The Working Party notes that none of the companies and farming interests concerned has plans to introduce widespread commercial planting in the UK in the immediate future.
More extensive planting is unlikely for one or two years thereafter.
This interval is therefore available for further research and policy development to be undertaken. This should be regarded as an opportunity to strengthen the structure of regulatory controls and to put other policy measures in place.