GM maize rubber stamp spells disaster for UK wildlife

The Government's statutory adviser, ACRE (the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment), has released its interpretation of the results of the GM crop farm-scale evaluations (FSEs).

These four-year tests examined the impact that growing GM crops in the UK might have on wildlife. They specifically compared damage to wildlife caused by weed control in GM crops fields, with weed control associated with conventional crops. In essence, the tests examined the impact of different chemical herbicide use, rather than the GM crops themselves.

ACRE advised Government that GM beet and oilseed rape could have a detrimental effect on wildlife if they were grown commercially in the UK.

However, ACRE also advised that GM maize would not adversely impact on the environment, if it was grown in the same way that it was during the farm-scale evaluations. ACRE's advice effectively gives GM maize approval for commercial use.

Commenting on the publication of ACRE's advice, Greenpeace campaigner Sarah North said:

"ACRE's advice on GM maize is bad for farmers, bad for the organic food industry and bad for our countryside. The only reason GM maize got through the British tests was because it's impact on wildlife was compared to that of conventional maize, which is managed using a chemical herbicide which is so toxic it's now been banned throughout Europe."

North continued, "If you compare one bad practice, with an even worse practice, of course the result is that the former looks better than the latter. It's like recommending a holiday in Baghdad on the basis that it might be safer than Chechnya."