Archived press release

Foe calls for Government genetic advisors to be sacked

9 July 1998

Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to sack its advisory panel on genetic food(ACRE) following revelations that most of the panel have close links to the biotech.industry. The news comes at a critical time in the mounting debate over genetically modified crops and the influence of industry on governmental decision-making.

Later today organic farmer Guy Watson, with backing from FOE and the Soil Association,will seek a Judicial Review into the planting of an experimental genetically engineered maize crop in a field next to his organic farm. Mr Watson contends that there is a risk of cross pollination; and that the crop itself may be illegal as it breaches Government regulations (a press conference will be held outside the High Court, The Strand, on Thursday at 9:30am).

The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) is the Government's statutory advisors on the release of genetically engineered crops into the countryside. So far the thirteen member panel has given permission to trial genetically engineered crops at over 500 sites around the country. Friends of the Earth's investigations into ACRE has revealed that:

. at least 8 members of ACRE are directly involved with the biotech. industry;
. 6 members are involved with companies that have been allowed by ACRE to trial genetically-engineered crops. This amounts to over 200 trial sites (around 40 % of the total);
. ACRE has never recommended refusal for an application. Members with a direct interest in each application leave the room for the relevant vote, returning so that they can vote through the next application, in which their colleagues may have an interest.

Adrian Bebb, Food campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
“How can people have confidence in the Government advisory panel when so many members have close financial links to the biotech. industry. You may as well put wolves in charge of a flock of sheep. Three quarters of the public don't want genetically-altered food, and the Government's own wildlife advisors are calling for a moratorium, yet the Government is still allowing this Frankenstein industry to drive ahead with its unproven products. If the Government wants to

restore public confidence in its dealings with the biotech industry it should sack the ACRE panel and draft in people more likely to command public confidence.”

Yesterday English Nature highlighted the threats to farmland wildlife arising from untested genetically modified crops and urged for changes to the regulatory regime controlling crop releases, for a moratorium on commercial production of engineered crops and for wildlife agencies to be represented on the ACRE panel.

Notes
[1] Members of ACRE have declared their interests. From this list FOE has compiled the following:

Name	Associations	No. of Appli -cations	No. of test sites
Prof. John Beringer	Member of Council of the National Environmental Research Council	4	5
Dr Philip Dale	Senior Research Scientist at John Innes Centre. He heads a department focussing on genetic engineering of oilseed rape.	2	2
Mr John Macleod	Director of National Institute of Agricultural Botany. NIAB is conducting the National Seed List Trials.	1 (by NIAB) 11 (for National Seed List Trials)	1 (NIAB) 163 (for Nat. Seed List Trials
Prof Nigel Poole	External and Regulatory Affairs Manager at Zeneca Plant Science, a leading biotech Co.	6	6
Dr David Robinson	Principal Research Scientist at Scottish Crop Research Institute Advisor to Nickerson Seeds	5 (SCRI) 12 Nickerson	9 (SCRI) 12 Nickerson
Dr Ingrid Williams	Leader of the Insect-plant interactions group,Institute of Arable Crop Research	1 (since joining ACRE in 1996)	3

In addition to the above the following two Committee members are directly involved in genetic engineering company's.

Dr Ian Garland: Assistant Director of Research at PPL Therapeutics, the makers of Dolly the sheep.
Professor David Onions - consultant to Q-One Biotec

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust