GMO food

Genetically modified (GM) crops could be grown in England as early as next year after the government backed an EU vote to allow pesticide-resistant food to be planted in member states.

Although other countries were given the option to ban GM crops, the UK government has opted to bring them into this country anyway.

Campaigners say that the arrival of these new commercial GM crops will spell disaster for wildlife and contaminate conventional and organic crops, with ‘catastrophic’ consequences for farmers.

Dr Helen Wallace, of the campaign group GeneWatch UK, said: “The Government has colluded with commercial lobbyists to fast track Roundup Ready GM maize into England, despite the expected harm to British wildlife such as birds and butterflies caused by blanket spraying of these crops.

“If some farmers in England press ahead with GM cultivation, conventional and organic farmers across the country will face the unnecessary risk of loss of markets due to contamination with GM.”

Owen Paterson, the environment secretary has been one of the main cheerleaders of these new GM crops.

He has been campaigning for regulations to allow individual member states to plant them once they have been declared safe by Brussels.

“This is a real step forward in unblocking the dysfunctional EU process for approving GM crops, which is letting down farmers and stopping scientific development,” he added.

Even farmers which operate orgnaic farms could run the risk of their crops being contaminated if their neighbours nearby are using GM plants.

The vote follows years of lobbying by biotech corporations, and the governemnt.

In 2012, agriculture ministers and science minister David Willetts attended a summit in Westminster to discuss ways to introduce GM foods into this country.

The event was financed by the Agricultural Biotechnology Council, which is owned by GM firms.

It agreed that the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs would lobby the EU to allow the planting of biotech crops in Britain, even if they were banned in other member states.

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  1. Pingback: U.K. Will Start Growing GM Crops Next Year* | Hwaairfan's Blog

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