Joe Quinn, Political Editor, Scottish Press Association
Green campaigners in Scotland called for a halt to work on genetically modified crops after findings today from Britain's biggest GM crop trials.
Scientists said trials at sites in Scotland and England showed that growing herbicide-tolerant GM beet and spring rape was worse for the environment that growing conventional varieties of those crops.
But the reverse applied for a third crop - growing herbicide-tolerant GM maize was better than conventional maize for many types of wildlife, said the scientists.
The long-awaited findings are the outcome of a study launched three years ago, and will be considered by government advisors who will then give ministers their conclusions.
The Scottish crop trials of oilseed rape have long been dogged by controversy.
Earlier this week the Executive said an investigation had revealed evidence of "unauthorised" GM material being used in spring trials in 2001 and 2002 at Daviot in Aberdeenshire and Newport-on-Tay, Fife.
Scottish Green party environment spokesman Mark Ruskell claimed that even though the trials were "far too narrow" in their scope, today's results pointed to major environmental problems.
"There is not a single argument left standing for GM, the public don't want it, the farmers are not backing it and a controversial research programme has now pointed to what we knew all along - that GM has an impact on the environment," said Mr Ruskell.
"The Executive has sat on the fence for far too long over GM.
"It's time they adopted the same strategy as the Welsh Assembly and call time on GM.
"We need to stop wasting time and money on GM and refocus on agriculture that can deliver healthy food in a healthy environment."
A similar call came from Friends of the Earth Scotland, who argued the Executive now had "more than enough" evidence to call a halt to the commercialisation of GM crops.
FoE Scotland chief executive Duncan McLaren said: "Despite their limited focus, these trials have shown that GM oilseed rape and beet are guilty of causing more damage to the environment than conventional varieties.
"Friends of the Earth believes that the Executive now has enough reasons to prevent GM crops from being commercialised in Scotland.
And he claimed: "If anything is to be learned from the way the whole GM affair has been handled, it is that Scotland should never again be used as an open-air laboratory on behalf of the biotech industry,
"The Scottish public neither wants GM in its mouths nor in its fields."
The Executive welcomed today's findings.
"These were the most rigorous trials ever carried out in Europe and significantly improve the evidence base on which future decisions will be made," said a spokesman.
He said no decision had been taken on the possible commercialisation of GM crops, and it would be "premature" to do so before results of the evaluation programme were fully evaluated.
"The statutory Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (Acre) will advise us on the implications of the results for the case-by-case assessment of the relevant crops," the spokesman said.
"Stakeholders will have an opportunity to input to Acre's consideration, including at a meeting in Edinburgh on December 4.
"If there is evidence of harm to human health or the environment of any GM crop it will not be approved for release."
source: http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2058280 16oct03
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