New report: GM crops remain unsustainable and unviable

Commenting on a Friends of the Earth report out today on GM crops, Greens have reiterated their call for a robust and effective GM strategy in Scotland, and have criticised the repeated delays to the consultation that should precede that strategy.

According to the report out today:

• GM crops commercialised have on the whole increased rather than decreased pesticide use
  
• GM crops do not yield more than conventional varieties
  
• the environment has not benefited, and GM crops will become increasingly unsustainable over the medium to long term.
  

Mark Ruskell MSP, Green speaker on environment, has proposed a bill at Holyrood to make GM companies strictly liable for any economic damage as a result of contamination caused by GM crop trials and commercialisation.


Mr Ruskell said, "This report proves that GM crops are bad news for the environment and for farmers around the world. The lack of consumer demand sends a strong message to biotech companies that their attempts to foist GM onto an unwilling public have so far been fruitless.

"The Executive needs to recognise how crucial this issue is to the future of Scottish agriculture, and ensure a robust strategy is developed to protect our farmers from the financial ruin faced by their counterparts in Canada and the US who have suffered GM contamination of their crops. So far Labour and LibDem ministers have shirked from the tackling this problem but they urgently need to address this for the sake of our farmers, consumers and the environment."

The Executive has repeatedly delayed a crucial consultation on the threat of GM crops and in November 2006 announced that it will not take place until this summer, after the next election. Ministers were due to issue proposals on the "co-existence" of GM crops in summer 2005, and Greens argue that the delays indicates Labour and LibDems' fear of drawing attention to their support for GM crops.

Read the article.

Story also at EU Business .com.