‘Latest GM crop trials attacked by the Soil Association’

BBC News, 12th June 2010 (2min57)

 Reporter:

“Protected by security fencing in the English countryside, 196 genetically modified potato plants. They have had genes swapped with other potatoes resist to late blight, which caused the Irish potato famine and is still a huge problem. Farmers have to spray crops up to 15 times a season to prevent it.”

Prof. Jonathan Jones, the Sainsbury Laboratory:

“All those chemicals that are applied could be replaced by genetics we believe, so if we have right genes in our crops then we wouldn't need to spray so much. So we have been cloning genes from wild relatives of potato and putting them into cultivated varieties and we have shown they work against lab strains of this pathogen, this disease, we want to show they actually work against the races that are circulating out there in the field.”

Reporter:

“Over a million pounds have been spent on this project alone but scientists here say blight costs farmers as much as 60 million pounds a year, but there has been fierce opposition from those that think the science is flawed.”

Patrick Holden, Director, Soil Association:

“We think this is a scandalous misuse of public funds for a project which is not delivering any public benefits. We were originally open minded and agnostic about GM but we studied the issues and the science and we have concluded that there are no farmer benefits, there are threats to the environment and potentially to human health.”

Reporter:

“Previous GM trials in the UK have been attacked by protesters. Here a crop of genetically modified oil seed rape was destroyed in 1999. Despite government enthusiasm in the 1990s, it was public opposition that brought to an end those plans for GM crops. Now there are no commercially cultivated GM crops in the UK although licensed plants like this one are allowed and this trial comes at a time when the debate is about to intensify. Dr Helen Wallace resigned from the Food Standards Agency committee set up to gauge attitudes towards GM foods. She said it was biased towards biotech industries.”

Dr Helen Wallace, Director, GeneWatch UK:

“We are seeing a big PR push from the GM industry at the moment. They are trying to convince the public that we need GM crops, a new generation of GM crops to feed the world and at the same time they are trying to weaken regulations in Europe so that we see GM crops and foods back on British supermarket shelf.”

Reporter:

“The new environmental secretary Caroline Spellman has voiced her support for GM in the right circumstances and leading scientists say advanced technology means it is now time for fresh public debate.”

Prof. Sir David Baulcombe, Botanist:

“The new trial in Norfolk represents part of this recent scientific development and it is appropriate that it goes back to the public for them to take stock and assess whether or not they agree with the scientists that this is a technology that is useful and that is not harmful to people.”

Reporter:

“These small plants are not at the centre of the UKs GM debate and while they may remain free of disease, they are unlikely to stay free of controversy.”