Britain waives the rules: MAFF allows restricted pesticide on GM crops26 February 2001
The Government is allowing a pesticide to be sprayed on winter GM crops - despite banning the practice for conventional varieties because of fears about its impact on the environment. Worse still, the outcome of testing to see the harmfulness to health or the environment of spraying the crops is being kept secret. The Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF) has repeatedly denied FOE access to the information. FOE has now written to Agriculture Minister Baroness Hayman warning her that unless the Government provides the data by the end of the week it faces the prospect of a judicial review.
Spraying of Glufosinate Ammonium (GA), to control weeds, is banned from October to the end of February following concerns about its impact . The Advisory Committee on Pesticides warns in its 1991 Annual Report that "under certain conditions, significant run-off or leaching could occur, leading to contamination of ground and surface water". But, since the winter of 1999, biotech firm Aventis has been allowed to spray GA on winter GM oil seed rape trials.
"The Government's stance on this issue is outrageous," said Pete Riley, Senior Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth. "Once again, New Labour is waiving the rules to please the biotech industry."
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