Hypes imaginary GM blight-resistant crops

Fulfilling GMWatch's warnings that Brexit could open up the UK to genetically modified crops and foods, Boris Johnson has used his first speech as new prime minister to promote GM crops and support their de-regulation.

Johnson said, "Let’s start now to liberate the UK’s extraordinary bioscience sector from anti genetic modification rules and let’s develop the blight-resistant crops that will feed the world."

Of course, Johnson is deluded. GM hasn't yet produced commercialisable blight-resistant crops, though conventional breeding has. And GM, in common with industrial ag in general, will never feed the world.

But he could easily cause massive damage to our health and environment by allowing GMOs into our food and fields.

Johnson also has a record of rejecting climate science and aligning himself with climate change deniers.

As the journalist Paul D. Thacker pointed out, climate change denial and promotion of GMOs go together like peanut butter and jelly.