"Genetically modified (GM) food can solve the world hunger problem," say the scientists and multinational corporations who promote GM food. They claim that GM technology can increase food production and therefore feed the hungry. Across the globe, 800 million people are chronically undernourished. Is GM food really the answer?

1.1 World-wide
The amount of GM food is increasing rapidly. In 1996, there were only two million hectares of fields set aside for growing GM food. This figure rose to 11 million hectares the next year and then to more than 27 million in 1998 (Panos, 1999).

GM food is primarily grown for commercial purposes. Popular crops include beans, tomatoes, corns, cotton and potatoes (Panos 1999).

The United States is the world's biggest source of GM food, followed by Argentina and Canada (SAR Government 2000).

Currently, there is no internationally recognised standard for the labelling of GM food. Different countries have their own labelling policies. The United States and Canada only require GM food to be labelled when the ingredients, nutritional values and risks of allergy contained are different from the original. The European Commission requires all food with more than one percent of genetically modified ingredients, or modified additives or spices to be spelt out in the label. In Australia and New Zealand, food consisting of one percent or more genetically modified ingredients should carry a label. Other countries, such as Japan, South Korea and Poland have different labelling systems for GM food. Meanwhile, Taiwan is drafting a law over the issue (SAR Government, Greenpeace 2000).

1.2 Hong Kong
Various types of GM food are sold in Hong Kong. Most are processed foods, others are unprocessed farm products. Some of the GM crops concerned may be resistant to herbicides or pesticides (SAR Government, 2000).

Hong Kong does not have a labelling policy on GM food. The Government does not have any information on the kinds of GM food available in Hong Kong. Greenpeace has conducted food tests to find GM ingredients in Hong Kong. It issues regular updates to a blacklist of food manufacturers of GM food, to keep consumers informed.

In January 2000, the Legislative Council passed a motion to ask the Government to implement a mandatory labelling system for GM food. The Government turned down the request and said that there were difficulties in having all imported food labelled. However, the administration has agreed to set up a taskforce to look into a possible mandatory labelling system for GM food.

The Government has allocated funding to sponsor research on GM food. While there is no farmland for growing GM food or GM animals in Hong Kong for commercial purposes, some universities are conducting biotechnological research in this area.