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Activists target remaining GM sites

- 26 July 1999
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26 July 1999

Activists target remaining GM sites

By FWi staff

PROTESTORS are set to target the last few farms growing field-scale plots of genetically-modified crops in an attempt to wreck the government-sanctioned trials.

Only four out of the seven trials planned for this year remain intact following the latest attack on the sites, which came in the early hours of this morning (Monday).

Lord Melchett, the executive director of Greenpeace, was among 30 protestors arrested after a plot of GM maize was attacked at a farm near Lyng, Norfolk.

Now the campaigners against GM crops have set their sights on the remaining four farms involved in the trials, Farmers Weekly has learned.

Greenpeace, which had called for the Lyng crop to be destroyed, today published the locations of the remaining GM trial sites on its Truefood web site.

Two of the remaining four trials – one of GM maize and one of spring oilseed rape – are on land controlled by chemical and research companies.

The other two plots – both of which are growing GM maize – are understood to be on fields rented out from private farms in Lincolnshire and Berkshire.

Environmentalists fear the GM rape and maize will cross-pollinate with conventional varieties of the same crops, causing what they call “genetic pollution”.

A spokesman for Greenpeace, who said he was committed to non-violent direct action in defence of the environment, declined to talk about any future targets.

But he added: “Theres quite a head of steam building up against these trials.”

The Soil Association, which sets the standards for organic farming, has threatened to withdraw certification from any organic crop which contains GM material.

The GM maize trials are thought to be especially at risk from an attack by protestors because no organic oilseed rape is currently being grown in the UK.

The wife of a farmer involved in one of the trials admitted that her husband had been threatened by anti-GM protestors, but asked not to be named.

“Weve had a few cranky letters,” she said.

The Supply Chain Initiative for Modified Agricultural Crops (SCIMAC), which is backing the introduction of GM crops, also voiced concern about the trials.

“Clearly this mornings direct action does raise questions about site security,” a SCIMAC spokesman told Farmers Weekly.

“Any of the sites involved is a potential target.”

AgrEvo, the company whose GM maize was destroyed in todays attack, issued a statement in which it “utterly condemned” the mowing-down of the crop.

“By acting in this manner, the vandals are denying the general public the information on the impact of these new crops on the environment,” it said.

Jack Cunningham, the chairman of the governments committee on biotechnology, has pledged to push ahead with ministers plans to complete the GM trials.

A 12-fold increase in the number of GM trials has already been approved and 75 field-scale sites of GM maize and rape could up and running next year.

It is thought that bio-technology companies would be allowed to plant 123 acres (50ha) on each trial site, taking the area of GM crops to more than 9200 acres (3725ha).

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