Centuries of selective breeding to fit limited human needs can't be compared with 50 years of industrial farming. This has created monsters already producing way over their natural capacities. Cloning can just create super-monsters and fix genetic weaknesses in marble. Humans' attitude need change.

Jean-Marie Rogue, Brussels, Belgium

If a plant or animal is perfectly safe to consume with no ill effects why should a copy [clone] of that same plant or animal be considered deadly? We have been cloning for 100’s of years. When we graft buds from one apple tree to another we are cloning. Rooting a stem from a plant is cloning.

John Lobenstein, Angier NC , USA

Dig a hole in the ground, fill it with water wait a week or two and watch as one type of algae multiplies until there are so many they poison themselves and die. Man has to live in harmony with the planet or suffer the same fate. GM foods are a big step towards a human monoculture.

Clive Stringer, Eggesford, England

Selective breeding is still natural...genetic modification in a lab isn't, thats the difference. You can't blame people for worrying. Stop bio-fuels instead. They are a scandalous waste of resources when alternatives exist. I don't understand the point of women...single men survive somehow?

Anthony, Brum,

Hacking around with genes that we don’t fully understand compared with natural selection and good farming? Forcing bits of genes together bears no comparison. To use your silly IVF device, these are probably the same doctors that used to recommend smoking.

Patrick, Red Bank, nj, USA (ex Wales)

I don't understand why you think we should just eat this stuff without testing it.

Emma, Cambridge,

Alan Robinson, that's nice, your garden won't produce nearly enough for you, as in some seasons (notably winter) very little will grow. Even if it did produce enough food for you, multiply that space by 6.5 billion, and the earth isn't big enough.

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

A recent study showed that GM crops give no greater yield but reduce biodiversity where they are grown. GM products are developed purely to enhance the profits of their licence-holders/producers.

Phil, málaga,

Fear mongers use the label GM too broadly.They should more correctly use the term gene splicing.

Labeling certain brands of produce as 'organic' implies all others are inorganic. What happens if I/we consume these inorganic foods?

John Lobenstein, Angier NC , USA

Selective breeding has already harmed the health and welfare of farm animals, who are sentient beings and can suffer. 50% of clones die shortly before or around the time of birth. Many clones are deformed and sickly. What kind of society would want such unethical breeding methods in agriculture?

Wendy Smith, Waterlooville, UK

It's nice to see someone talking sense on this issue for a change. There are countless examples of foods produced through more "natural" methods that have turned out to be dangerous. GM foods should not be dismissed through ignorance, they will probably be the only answer to world hunger.

Simon, Shanghai, China

At last a bit of common sense, the UK have turned their back on the fundimentals of life, namely food production, for far to long. Two thirds of the world do not have enough to eat, it is rediculous not to embrace technology.

Ray, South molton,

There is also 'no evidence' that the massive increases in cancer in the last fifty years have anything to do with the chemicals, additives and preservatives that are now common-place in our foods. I for one, do not want to be a 'guinea-pig' for this type of 'franken-food'.

Nik, London,

Genome selection is different - cross breeding in nature leads to sterile offspring. Leaving aside incorrect science, simply label properly and let me choose, without low percentage get-outs. At the moment I can afford to choose. If I am starving I will buy whatever I can afford - GM or otherwise.

Caroline, vienna, austria

So long as the likes of the Soil Association continue to lie, people allo over the world will continue to die.

Craig , Liverpool, UK

An excellent article Melanie. We in Britain have this 'luxury' of choice not available to the 850 million suffering starvation. I'm afraid, Mr Naylor, that the Soil Association's Organic food will only feed the chattering classes who can afford it. Organic yields are simply too low....wakey, wakey.

Jim Potter, Cambridge,

The average consumer is so stupid that she will avoid meat treated with hormones, and then go and take an oral contraceptive pill. I'm afraid we're at the end of the age of science.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

If you don't have an argument, then try abuse, seems to sum this article up

SD, London,

IVF and genetic modification have nothing to do with each other. The argument is fatally flawed, as the only comparison that would make sense would be that between genetically modified crops and genetically modified babies, which would indeed cause an uproar.

Why was this published?

Matt deCamp, Savannah, USA

In the 1970s a variety of barley called Golden Promise took up 80% of the scottish barley production. It was produced from heavily irradiated stock of other varieties, millions of gallons of good beer were sold and drunk, from the malt, many of us have enjoyed it!

David Vinter, Louth, Lincs., UK.

The Government's insistence on GM is bred from a desire to produce as much from less. Their fiscal plan is to give arable land over to industry, a large population of cheap labour in-tow. Both aims seem misguided. You can talk numbers but how do you conceptualise taste, mouth satisfaction?

Malcolm Turner, Alsager, England

This woman is seperated from her agricultural roots. GM is NOT selective breeding. GM requires genes to be FORCED together not combine naturally. The long-term question is what happens when genes combine that shouldn't?. GM risks accrue to consumers, benefits to corporations. Poor deal, poor article

Eddie Reader, birmingham, england

For those of you who are unaware of the counter-arguments, I would direct you to the Soil Association website. Read what they have to say and then make your mind up.

Geoff Naylor, Winchester, England, UK

I'm going the other way thanks. When I retire in a few years from now, my organic garden will produce almost all I need. It will cost almost nothing, and the quality will generally be far better than industrial food.

Oh, nearly forgot, the garden is a paradise for flora and fauna.

Alan Robinson, Bjerreby, Denmark

Hear hear! Great article.

Joanna Hugminster, Ewell, England

You say: "....how ignorant people have become since they were divorced from the basics of agriculture". Really? Try "how ignorant people have become since the Plowden Report.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/USA

Refreshing to read common sense about food rather than emotional prejudice.

Jim Cooper, Courtenay, Canada

Well said. There is no evidence whatsoever that GM crops are unsafe, and given the number of tests they have to go through, they are probably a lot safer than non-GM food.

Rowan, Oxford,

Selective breeding is incremental. GM involves large step changes. We have caused lots of problems introducing new species into environments to "solve" problems - eg rabbits in Australia. Rational people aren't worried about the food, it's the effect of the new species.

Jamie, Manchester, UK