Not surprisingly, the development of GM crops does have its critics. The potential risks, they claim, cannot be ignored. The chemicals that are needed to grow GM crops can be harmful to animals and insects,and so disturb the food chain. They fear the emergence of superbug capable of withstanding any pesticides. Farmers worry about genetics transfer, where GM crops could escape and cross-border with wild plants. They say there could be no way back from such contamination. Opponents of GM crops also point to their unknown effects on humans. They say we cannot be sure exactly how these designer crops will affect us in the long term
They also argue that the advantages have been grossly exaggerated and point to some studies that show GM crops deliver lower yields thanconventionally grown crops. Others worry about the potential grip of big business on farming. They claim that GM crops are being pushed by multinational biotech companies.