The Scottish government has been urged to listen to the views of farmers and scientists and reconsider its decision to impose a formal ban on GM crops.

Ruling SNP ministers announced last month that Scotland would opt out of letting farmers grow EU-authorised GM crops if laws were passed to let member states decide to ban or allow the technology.

The decision has split opinion in the scientific and farming communities north of the border.

See also: Scotland’s GM crops ban provokes letter row

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has admitted her government’s decision to ban GM crops was “not based on scientific considerations”.

“Plant and animal breeding and cross-breeding has been going on since time immemorial, and GM technology is simply an extension of that science.”
Alex Fergusson

During an agriculture debate in Holyrood on Wednesday (23 September), Scottish Conservative rural affairs spokesman Alex Fergusson attacked the move.

He said it could put farmers north of the border at a “competitive disadvantage” and slam the door on the possible revolution of chemical use in the arable sector.

Mr Fergusson also argued it jeopardised the more general global aim of making sure there was enough food in the world, from a Scottish production point of view.

“The banning of GM crops has had an adverse reaction, not just from the farming sector, but also the scientific one,” he said.

“It almost defies belief that the Scottish government – one that never misses an opportunity to back any controversial proposal by assuring us it is only acting on the best scientific advice – hasn’t even bothered to seek that in this instance.

“Richard Lochhead talks about protecting the ‘purity’ and ‘quality’ of Scottish produce by banning the growing of GM crops, therefore denying the potential to grow those same crops without the use of chemical pesticides and fungicides that are in such common use today.

“Plant and animal breeding and cross-breeding has been going on since time immemorial, and GM technology is simply an extension of that science.

“It has the potential to provide an exciting new future for agriculture – of which the principle purpose must always be to feed an ever-increasing world population.

“We would forget that – as I believe the SNP has here – at our peril.

“The Scottish government must realise by making this ill-thought-out decision it is slamming the door on potential scientific advances that could revolutionise the industry.”

Earlier this week, Northern Ireland became the latest country to announce a ban on GM crops, following similar announcements by Scotland, Latvia, Greece, Lithuania and Germany.

Wales said it would adopt a “restrictive and precautionary approach to GM crop cultivation”.

But Defra has indicated it would allow farmers in England to grow GM crops provided they could be shown to be safe.