By Brian Carnell

Thursday, June 6, 2002

The BBC generated a bit of controversy in the UK recently with its planned broadcast of a two-part drama called "Fields of Gold" which is offers up a nightmare scenario where genetically modified foods end up threatening the very survival of humanity.

The drama was attacked by Mark Tester, an expert on genetically modified crops who was hired as a scientific advisor for "Fields of Gold." Tester told The Daily Telegraph that the show contains "ridiculous errors of fact to inflame uninformed anti-GM hysteria."

The BBC responded to the criticism by noting that this was, after all, a fictional drama. Apparently the BBC forgot about the pre-publicity for the drama which featured the show's producer saying the goal of the film was "to tap into a very real fear, to make people think about what they eat."

The co-writers of the drama, Alan Rusbridger and Ronan Bennett, responded to Tester's criticism by accusing him of being part of an international conspiracy designed to "undermine the truth" about genetically modified crops. Rusbridger is the editor of The Guardian, which has been vehemently anti-GM and was instrumental in publicizing unfounded fears over a genetically modified potato.

The plot of the movie sounds hilarious (I hope it's eventually possible to see this in the United States). Here's The Daily Telegraph's short summary,

It depicts a scientist creating GM wheat with a food blender in his bedroom, to which he adds a gene resistant to the antibiotic Vancomycin, which just happens to turn up in hospital waste. During trials, this gene somehow infects bacteria, creating an antibiotic resistant superbug that kills foxes, birds and old people. Spread by harvest dust, it threatens all humanity.

. . . Judging by what has emerged so far [about the drama], Fields of Gold is Guardian-modified obscurantism masquerading as science fiction.

If that plot summary is accurate, this drama is inept on many levels and worthy of the scorn heaped upon it.

Sources:

BBC refuses to drop 'alarmist' GM drama despite protests. Tom Leonard, Daily Telegraph (UK), June 1, 2002.

Dramatically modified truth. Daily Telegraph (UK), June 1, 2002.

Is It King Kong? Is it Godzilla? No, it's a genetically modified editor. Mick Hume, The Times (London), June 3, 2002.

Critic of GM drama denies conspiracy. Tom Leonard, Daily Telegraph (UK), June 3, 2002.

Scientists rebut writer's claim of GM conspiracy. Mark Henderson, The Times (London), June 3, 2002.

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