Genetically modified (GM) food provokes skirmishes all over the world, but the main battle is between America, which champions the stuff, and the European Union (EU), which resists it. Proponents of GM crops say they are safe, good for the environment and may provide cheaper and better food. It is perhaps little wonder that Europeans, remembering such scares as mad-cow disease, have balked at the prospect of eating or growing GM food. As for growing GM crops, experience outside Europe suggests that they are no worse for the environment than normal farming, and can be better. As GM technology develops, continued European rejection of GM could mean it loses out on future crops that might benefit its landscape, and boost its farm and science industries.