GM company insists trials will go on

10 September 1999

AgrEvo has announced that it is to continue with its farm-scale trials of winter oilseed rape, despite the fact that the High Court has granted Friends of the Earth permission to bring a judicial review of the Government's decision to give the go-ahead for the crop.

Friends of the Earth Executive Director Charles Secrett said: "We are bitterly disappointed with this decision. At present, there may be no legal barrier to prevent planting, but AgrEvo has decided to go ahead despite the High Court's view that these trials are arguably unlawful. Public money will be spent on these trials. Two weeks ago, the Government told the Court that the planting date 'had been set back due to the issue of these proceedings as, should the Court decide that the ... variation ... is unlawful, any seedlings already planted may have to be destroyed'. The Government has obviously now changed its mind, and decided to risk both wasting public money and damaging the environment."

Meanwhile, Environment Minister Michael Meacher has complained about "intimidation" of farmers after Nottinghamshire farmer David Rose decided not to take part in the testing programme. "Mr Meacher is quite wrongly pretending that Mr David Rose decided not to proceed with his trial because of intimidation, and threatening that the trials programme may in future be conducted in secret," said Secrett. "The public will not tolerate any attempt to force GM food on to the market after a sham testing programme conducted in private."

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