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Foot and mouth may hit GM trials
26 February 2001
The next round of genetically modified farm scale trials is under threat following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
Sixty four GM sites are due to be named later this week, but the Government is believed to be considering their immediate future as concern over foot and mouth deepens. Ecological research was badly hit during the last outbreak in 1967, and may be severely affected if the epidemic worsens.
The main concern would be GM fodder maize and fodder beet which should (in theory) be grown on mixed farms or livestock farms. However, all the trials are potentially under threat.
Pete Riley, GM campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
“The foot and mouth disaster is having implications in the most unexpected areas. If this epidemic takes hold as it did in1967, the GM farm scale trials could be under threat. The last thing farming needs is for the foot and month situation to be made worse by scientists travelling between farms to carrying out research on crops no one wants to buy. And if the ecological evaluations can't be carried out, there would be no reason for the GM trials to go ahead.”
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2008
