GM crop ban now three years
5 November 1999
GM crop ban now three years
By FWi staff
THE government has announced that the voluntary ban on the commercial growing of genetically modified crops has been extended for three years.
The deal struck by environment minister Michael Meacher with agrochemical companies means no GM crops can be grown commercially in Britain until current field-scale trials are completed.
Last year, the government persuaded GM companies to put commercial planting on hold for a year. That agreement expired this month.
But following discussions with GM industry group the Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops (SCIMAC), it has been agreed no commercial GM crops can be planted until government evaluations end.
These are due to be completed following the harvest of crops planted in 2002.
Mr Meacher said: “I believe this agreement will go a long way to addressing many of the concerns surrounding these farm-scale evaluations of GM crops.
“The government has said all along that there will be no general cultivation of GM crops until we are satisfied there is no unacceptable effects on the environment.”