Glamorgan GM Scientist: Right on commercialisation Wrong on test sites

There was a mixed response from Friends of the Earth Cymru to comments by Dr Denis Murphy, recently appointed by the Government to work on GM crop research. Dr Murphy, of the University of Glamorgan, has said that the National Assembly for Wales has made a mistake in declaring Wales GM Free. He also took the radical step of calling for a five year freeze on commercial growing of the crops in the UK. [1]

The group has expressed its confusion that Dr Murphy has been portrayed in the press as a 'special adviser' on GM to Agriculture Minister Margaret Beckett. The Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs have informed Friends of the Earth that Dr Murphy's responsibilities are restricted to an advisory function on one specific research programme.

A spokesperson for the pressure group said that, although Dr Murphy was right to call for caution on commercialisation, he was wrong to criticise the Assembly's stance on GM - adopted in a unanimous vote in the Assembly in May 2000.

Julian Rosser, Head of Campaigns at Friends of the Earth Cymru commented:

"Even though Denis Murphy is a big fan of GM technology he can see that there is a need to slow down on the development of these crops.

"Unfortunately, he's far too complacent about the potential that GM crops have to cause harm to the environment. Dr Murphy talks about 'rigorous checks and monitoring procedures' but he is well aware that contamination of oilseed rape trials in England and Scotland went unnoticed for over three years. If he thinks that's evidence of rigorous checks then I'd be worried that he's been spending too much time in the lab."

The group also defended the National Assembly from Professor Murphy's suggestion that it was wrong to be anti-GM.

"If it wasn't for the Assembly's restrictive policy on GM crops then the Welsh environment and agriculture would be at risk from just the sort of contamination we have seen elsewhere.

"The Assembly is following the wishes of the people of Wales. Its GM Free Welsh Environment policy was adopted unanimously by Assembly Members in response to scientific evidence which made it clear that there was no guarantee of the safety of GM crops.

"The Assembly policy is not anti-science, it is based on clear evidence and fits into a sound strategy to develop Welsh agriculture. Frankly, battered Welsh farmers need GM crops like a hole in the head. Nobody wants to eat them, so what are the advantages to us of taking the risks associated with them being planted in our fields?

"The Assembly doesn't even have a full ban on GM crops in Wales. Its policy says that experiments can be carried out if its advisors can be certain that the crops in question are 'not capable' of harming human health or the environment. So far, it seems that no biotechnology companies want to submit their seeds to that kind of test - so none have applied to the Assembly for permission to plant experimental GM crops."

Notes

[1] Comments quoted in the Western Mail, 6 September 2002.