The Science Museum will open a new exhibition which takes an investigative look into the global food crisis and the debate surrounding genetically modified (GM) crops. The exhibition will be officially launched on 17 December in the Antenna gallery, with a speech from Professor John Beddington, Government Chief Scientific Advisor.

This event will be a call for people to enter the GM debate by familiarising themselves with the issues presented in the exhibition and to attend a follow-up debate on GM foods at the Science Museum’s Dana Centre on 22 January 2009.

Since the 1990’s GM has been a controversial subject. Now, with the food crisis highlighting the need to increase food production, the subject is again being hotly debated among groups from government ministers and farmers to action groups and scientists.

The exhibition, Future Foods, explores GM technology and the alternatives. It asks visitors where they stand in today’s GM debate by presenting them with the latest scientific evidence.

Set against the backdrop of the current global food crisis, the exhibition will provide an explanation of what genetic modification is and explore how we might reinvent agricultural methods. It will also look at how GM crops could help provide a solution to the food crisis.

Emma Hedderwick, Exhibition Content Leader said, “GM is a hot topic, with a lot of opinion about the risks on both sides of the debate. By looking at the latest GM and non-GM options for improving crop yields, this exhibition provides visitors with the current arguments around GM, empowering them with the knowledge to make their own decisions and join in the debate.”