GM crops with abiotic stress tolerance have been developed to reduce the
losses in crop yield brought about by salinity, drought, extreme
temperatures and others. With this development, issues about its food and
environmental safety have surfaced, affecting adoption and acceptability of
these GM crops. In the study by Liang and his co-researchers from RIKILT
Wageningen UR, Institute of Food Safety, the importance of developing a
comparative approach in assessing GM crops was discussed.

The results of their findings proved that acceptability and adoption of GM
crops with abiotic stress tolerance is dependent on the result of their
safety assessment. A triangle method to assess GM crops with abiotic stress
tolerance was proposed to improve the current comparative approach for food
and environment safety assessment in this type of GM crops. This method
compares the cultivation of GM crop grown in two conditions: natural and
under stress condition, wherein a conventional crop is also cultivated under
natural condition. The effects or risks in cultivating GM crops under both
conditions in the environment was accounted and assessed, as compared with
conventional crops. GM crops considered safe for the environment is then
assessed for its safety as a food.

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