Archived press release

MPs to Reject Governments GM Commercialisation Plans

3 March 2004

A powerful committee of MPs will reportedly reject Government plans to allow Bayer's GM maize to be commercially grown in the UK on Friday (5 March 2003) [1].

The Environment Audit Committee's report [2] is expected to conclude that no GM crop should be given commercial approval until new crop trials are carried out [3]. This would delay commercial approval for at least three years.

Last month leaked minutes revealed Government intentions to give GM maize the commercial green light - an announcement could be as early as next week.

GM maize was trialed for four years in the Government's farm scale evaluations (FSEs). The trials, which ended last year, compared the wildlife impacts of the herbicide regimes used on conventional and GM crops. But the results of the trials - which concluded that growing GM maize was less damaging than its conventional counterpart - are now widely regarded as being fatally flawed [4]. In particular this is because the weedkiller, atrazine, used on conventional maize crops in the trials will be banned by the EU from 2006. There is no data comparing the wildlife impacts of growing GM maize with conventional maize sprayed with a replacement herbicide for atrazine.

MPs are expected to also raise concerns about liability if conventional or organic crops were contaminated. A Private Member's Bill which is currently being taken forward by Gregory Barker MP (supported by Friends of the Earth) would address this legal shortfall. But the Government has refused to give its backing to the Bill [5].

Doubts have also been raised about whether the weed management approach used in the FSE will be replicated if the GM maize is grown commercially because farmers will want greater control over weeds to ensure commercially viable yields [6].

Friends of the Earth's GM campaigner Pete Riley said:

"The GM crop trials were deeply flawed and cannot be used to allow GM maize to be commercially grown. The weedkiller used on conventional maize in the tests is so damaging that it has now been banned. It's little wonder that the GM maize was found to be less damaging in comparison. The Government cannot go ahead with GM maize approval. GM is unpopular, unnecessary and there are serious doubts about the soundness of the science."

Notes

1. Independent on Sunday 29 March 2004, Daily Mail 3 March 2004

2. Under the terms of the Standing Order No. 152A the Environmental Audit Committee is to "consider to what extent the policies and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development: to audit their performance against such targets as may be set for them by her Majesty's Ministers; and to report thereon to the House." The Committee was set up on 16 July 2001.

4. The FSE's also concluded that growing GM oil seed rape and beet were more damaging than their conventional counterparts. The Government is expected NOT to give these the commercial green light.

5. The GM Bill would introduce separation distances and times between GM crops and other crops and a strict liability code and liability funds to ensure that if organic or conventional crops are contaminated by GMOs, those affected can be reimbursed for their losses. It will be debated in Parliament on 26th March 2004.

6. Evidence of Friends of the Earth to the Environmental Audit Committee. There are serious concerns that the GM maize in the FSE was not grown in a way that produced commercial yields. Maize is extremely susceptible to early weed competition, but Bayer advised some farmers to delay application of the weedkiller on the GM fields. It is likely that biodiversity measurements were therefore enhanced at the expense of yield. However, there is no way of verifying this statistically, as the trials did not include an accurate measure of yield or maturity. Instead, estimates were taken by farmers hosting the trials and height was measured - a poor surrogate for yield.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust