peaking at a biotechnology workshop at Agresearch’s Ruakura campus on Thursday, Crop and Food Research scientist Dr Tony Conner said uptake of GM technology was increasing worldwide.

”If we don’t adopt this technology then we will be left behind. By 20 years’ time we could fall behind and be a Third World country,” Dr Conner said. GM crops offered higher yields and improved traits like pest resistance, but concern over the technology has prompted opposition to its commercial release in New Zealand.