GM produce is back on the political menu, says minister

Published on Monday 10 August 2009 22:07

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Hilary Benn has resurrected the possibility of genetically modified (GM) food being introduced to bolster Britain's food supply.

He warned that risks to global food supplies and a growing population meant that GM foods could be part of a solution to food production.

His comments triggered predictable outrage among environmentalists. The last GM trials in Britain were abandoned last summer after crops were trampled by protesters.

The issue burst on to the agenda in the late 1990s and ministers have since admitted they failed to convince the public about GM crops.

The Scottish Government still remains unconvinced and ordered the destruction of rogue rapeseed plants found near Aberdeen and Arbroath last year.

A Scottish Government spokesman said last night: "We remain opposed to the cultivation of GM crops and remain determined to protect Scotland's clean and green image for food and drink production. As such, no GM crops are currently being grown in Scotland and none are likely to be in the foreseeable future."

Anti-GM campaigners yesterday also warned against seeing GM crops as a "silver bullet" to solve food problems.

Pete Riley, of GM Freeze, said: "Ministers must avoid being taken in by claims that GM crops are solutions, because there is very little evidence that promises of drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant or high-yielding crops produced using genetic modification will be fulfilled."

Organic food organisation the Soil Association's policy adviser, Helen Browning, said:

"Technology will, of course, be important, but the search for a 'silver bullet' like GM to solve all these problems is a dangerous distraction."

FACTFILE

&#149 It is estimated that global food production will have to increase by 70 per cent by 2050 to feed an estimated nine billion people.

&#149 By 2017, Scotland aims to increase exports of food and drink by 10 billion.

&#149 Diet-related ill-health costs the NHS an estimated 8 billion a year, and obesity is estimated to cost the economy 15.8 billion.

&#149 Each household in Britain wastes an average of 420 of food a year.