The report by the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission entitled 'Crops on trial' makes ten recommendations including: a wider debate on GM crops regarding the ethics of genetic modification; preserving the ability of organic growers to retain their organic status; preserving consumer choice for food free from GM contamination including organic foods; identifying adequate separation distances between GM crops and non GM crops.
Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientific Advisor Greenpeace, said '"We've always felt that these trials were a fig leaf to cover the Government's embarrassment at having failed to be in tune with legitimate public concerns. The AEBC report points out that there are unanswered questions about ethics, risk and uncertainties, agricultural policy, the effects on organic farming, consumers right to choose and the social and economic impacts associated with potential commercialisation of CM crops. If the Government wants to show that it isn't in the pocket of the biotech giants it needs to hold this wide debate and stop the farm-scale trials programme "
Editors notes:
(1) Paragraph 25 of the report says 'Whilst the FSE (Farm Scale Evaluations) are expected to produce useful data which can contribute to the decision about weather or not the crops involved should be commercialised, we are clear that they are not a sufficient condition for reaching those decisions'.
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