Agriculture: Across the globe, governments and biotech companies are attempting to reconcile food shortages and increasing food prices with strict regulations on genetically modified (GM) crops. In a recent move, food manufacturers in Japan and Korea have abandoned their adherence to unmodified corn, which has increased three times in price from 2006, for its GM equivalent. Likewise, in the US, wheat suppliers are buying more GM crops and, in Europe, pressure is increasing from producers of livestock to loosen GM regulations. The main GM crops currently grown are canola, corn, cotton and soybeans. In addition, for corn, alternatives to GM crops are harder to find. The proportion of GM corn grown in the US has increased from 40% in 2003 to 75% in 2007. Rising corn prices have also made the surcharge to separate GM and non-GM crops more burdensome.

Source: New York Times