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Scottish Executive Announce First Site Selected For Enviromental Monitoring Of GM Crops
17/03/2000
A farm in Aberdeenshire has been selected to participate in the UK-wide scientific programme of farm-scale evaluations of Genetically Modified crops.
The farm, near Inverurie, will grow a crop of genetically modified spring oilseed rape alongside a comparable field of conventional oilseed rape. This will enable scientists to assess the environmental impact which growing a GM crop may have when compared with more traditional farming practice. The farm is likely to be the first of a number of Scottish sites to be selected for inclusion in the programme.
Emphasising the contribution which the evaluations will make to understanding how farming practices associated with growing GM crops may affect our environment, Ross Finnie, Minister for Rural Affairs said:
"As an Executive we are neither pro or anti GM crops. Our priorities are consumers, public health and the environment. We also recognise that GM crops could have great potential. We need sound information on which to assess the impact of GM crops. That is the purpose of these trials.
"In the UK we have one of the most rigorous regulatory processes in the world to ensure that any GM crops grown are safe. Stringent laboratory testing and planting small, controlled experimental sites have demonstrated that the GM crops to be used in these trials are safe to human and animal health, and do not pose any direct environmental risk.
"What laboratory and experimental-scale testing cannot indicate is the effect which farming a crop on a scale which might be adopted by a commercial grower could have on the environment. It is important that Scottish sites form part of the UK evaluation programme in recognition of the different ecological and climatic conditions which exist here. These independently assessed and tightly controlled evaluations will enable us to establish this vital information.
"Until these evaluations have been completed over a 3 year period, there will be no commercial growing of GM crops in this country. We need to be satisfied that growing these crops will have no unacceptable effects on the environment.
"We want this to be an open process. That is why we are taking steps to inform the public in Scotland in every way possible. The location of this test is available on the Scottish Executive's website. This and other issues relating to the science of genetic modification will also be discussed during the Parliamentary debate, which will take place on Thursday 23 March. We hope this debate will form part of mature and well-informed discussion that will be informed by eveidence, which these trials will provide"
BACKGROUND
1. Up to 80 sites have been identified across the UK which are suitable for inclusion in the spring programme. In addition to oilseed rape, maize, fodder beet and sugar beet will be grown on English sites this spring although for climatic reasons these crops are not grown in Scotland.
2. The Scottish Executive believe that it is important for the public to be aware of what is happening in their locality and why. For that reason the precise location of sites where GM crops are being grown will be published. The proposed Scottish site is at Grid Reference NJ745298, near the village of Daviot. The field is likely to be planted in the next few weeks.
3. It is anticipated that further sites may come forward during the next few weeks, up to a maximum of 25 fields in the UK for spring oilseed rape; details of any further Scottish sites which are accepted onto the programme will be published.
4. The hybrid oilseed rape crop to be grown in these evaluations has been genetically modified to be tolerant to certain types of herbicide. The fields will be planted with a GM crop in part of the field, up to about 10 hectares (25 acres). The rest of the field will be planted with an equivalent non-GM crop which will be treated with the usual range of weed and pest controls. The GM crop will be treated, as necessary, with the herbicide to which its modification has made it tolerant. The researchers will study the differences in the number and types of weeds and insects in the 2 halves of the field. They will also look at potential pollen transfer and cross-pollination.
5. The evaluations are part of a three year programme to allow independent researchers to examine what effect growing GM crops might have on farmland wildlife, as compared with growing non-GM crops.
6. The UK farm-scale evaluation programme of GM crops was announced in October 1998. In 1999 preliminary studies were carried out in England on a total of nine sites.
7. On 5 November 1999, an agreement was reached with the industry umbrella organisation SCIMAC (Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops) to the effect that no crops will be grown commercially in the UK until the evaluations programme is completed and the results have been fully assessed. The earliest that could happen is 2003.
8. Under the terms of the agreement, SCIMAC provide the GM seeds and arrange for crops to be grown on suitable farms. The research contractors select suitable farms from those offered according to a protocol agreed by the independent Scientific Steering Committee.
9. Farmers grow and manage the GM and the non-GM crop as they would do normally. The farmer records all pesticide and herbicide treatments and passes the information to the researchers.
10. The crop to be grown in Scotland is an oilseed rape line developed by Aventis (formerly AgrEvo) which has been genetically modified to be tolerant to gluphosinate ammonium herbicide (known as Liberty ®). It will be grown in accordance with a research consent (Part B), number 99/R19/18 issued in March 1999 and covering both Scotland and England. It will be compared with conventional varieties of spring sown oil seed rape.
News Release: SE0739/2000
17 Mar 2000