GM crops can preserve wildlife

12 September 2000



GM crops ‘can preserve wildlife’

By FWi staff

GENETICALLY modified crops could help preserve farm wildlife, claims the former head of the governments committee on the technology.

Sir John Beringer said there should be greater support for farmers to manage biodiversity on their farms, reports the Financial Times.

GM technology would allow more weeds — vital to insects and birds — to be left, he told the British Association for the Advancement of Science festival.

Herbicide-resistant crops would allow herbicide use to be reduced, said Sir John, who chaired the advisory committee on releases into the environment.

He said about 10-20% of a field could be weeds but still provide a good yield, reports The Guardian

Sir John said first generation GM crops, which can cause big declines in insect populations, were a poor example of what the technology could achieve.

• GM crops only kill harmful insects, FWi, 26 August 1999
• GM code could wipe out wildlife, FWi, 22 June 1999
• Genetic maize harms beneficial insects, FWi, 04 May 1998
  
• Financial Times 12/09/2000 page 7
  
• The Guardian 12/09/2000 page 7