Impact of GMOs

Science programme: Gene-based insect science

HortResearch and other Crown Research Institutes have increased their research on the environmental impact of GM plants following a recommendation for further research by the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification in 2001.

Our biggest projects monitor the effects of genetically modified plants on beneficial insects such as honeybees and predatory beetles that eat pest caterpillars.

In our experiments we use GM plants grown in glasshouses under strict containment, or tests are conducted in the laboratory with purified proteins equivalent to those made by the plants.

These experiments form part of a large collaborative programme of research with AgResearch (Environmental Impact of New Technologies). Summaries of this and other relevant New Zealand research projects can be found on the Foundation for Research Science & Technology website.

Recent results from a study to see what happens to GM proteins when insects eat GM plants may be seen here.

Our latest collaborative project focuses on the impacts of GM plants on native invertebrates and birds. About 90 percent of New Zealand's insect species are not found outside New Zealand and the project is aimed at safeguarding them.

For more general information about GM plants see Genetic Modification in New Zealand.

Information on the regulation of Genetic Modification in New Zealand can be found on the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) website.

Additional information

SNTI Newsletter [1.6Mb PDF]
Impact of GMOs Pamphlet [600Kb PDF]

Contact Louise Malone