AFTER a decade of exporting its genetically modified crops all over the world, the US is preparing to block foreign GM foods from entering the country – if they are deemed to threaten its agriculture, environment or citizens’ health, that is.

The warning was given to the US Department of Agriculture, which polices agricultural imports, by its own auditor, the Office of Inspector General (OIG): “Unless international developments in transgenic plants and animals are closely monitored, USDA could be unaware of potential threats that particular new transgenic plants or animals might pose to the nation’s food supply.”

The OIG expects the …