British Prime Minister Tony Blair seems to be particularly interested in the issue of genetic engineering. And he's not afraid to get mud on his boots, either.

Recently, he submitted a very lengthy article on the topic to one of Britain's more avidly anti-GM newspapers.

He presented a balanced picture. But the media focused on a single sentence. It said, and I quote, “There is no doubt that there is potential for harm, both in terms of food safety and in the diversity of our environment, from GM foods and crops.”

This seemed particularly damning. Two sentences later, however, he stated, “But there's no doubt, either, that this new technology could bring benefits for mankind.”

So has the British government ditched its science-based policy on GM?  It certainly denied any cave-in.

Read as whole, the article really inferred that, while the evidence should be scrutinized and decisions made by people other than scientists, objectivity should still prevail. His article was something of a model for this.

A recently established Food Standards Agency will now be calling the shots. That the majority of members of the Agency are to be drawn “from a wider public interest background” was, some months ago, also hyped as a victory by those opposing GMO's.

Blair's article, it seems, was an attempt to set the record straight on what to expect from the agency – rulings based on sound scientific evidence.

There is no doubt that the British government's science-based policy is unpopular.  And the British public are not alone in Europe and elsewhere in fearing this new technology

It's therefore a safe bet that other governments are keeping a close watch on this bid to keep the voters' emotions at bay. If it fails, others may not even attempt the feat.

At best, the adoption of this biotechnology would then be delayed. At worst, it would be abandoned. And humanity would be denied its benefits without a fair trial. 

For CBC commentary, I'm David Walker, an agricultural economist, at Lodge Farm Postwick in Broadland Norfolk, England.