When genetically modified (GM) crops first started to appear 30 years ago, there was a massive consumer backlash. All over Europe and the USA, anti-GM activists tore up crops and dug for legislation to close down trials.

In the years since, several studies suggest that public opinions have been mollified. Consumers had two primary concerns: that GM foods pose an inherent health risk, and that the corporations which create GM seeds would monopolise supply chains and penalise smaller, poorer growers with high prices.

As a result, a report released in November by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and Department of  says more than half of South African consumers believe GM crops are good for the economy, and that they will buy more. An official National Bio-economy Strategy, released in 2013, not only advocates further investment in the area as a way of increasing crop yields and mitigating the effects of climate change, but it welcomes multinational investors with open arms and encourages them to build infrastructure for GM crops here.

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