Biotech Company Faces GM Reality Where Executive Wouldn't
Wed., March 31, 2004. 00:00.
The announcement from Bayer CropScience that it is to abandon attempts to commercialise Chardon LL maize was welcomed today by Green MSP Mark Ruskell. Bayer blames the restrictive approach of Margaret Beckett, but Greens believe this has been concocted as an excuse to cover up the total failure of the technology to produce an economically viable and scientifically safe GM maize crop in the first place.
'GM maize was the Trojan horse of the biotech companies softening up the public in the UK to the introduction of other GM crops. That Westminster and the Scottish Executive caved in on GM maize based on dubious science was the major worry. It is predictable that the company will seek to blame Chardon LL's withdrawal on proposed measures to restrict GM, rather than publicly admit to the uselessness of their own technology.'
'We have always maintained that this crop offered nothing to farmers, consumers or the environment. Bayer's announcement totally vindicates our position, it seems that they have faced the reality of the suitability of this crop where the Executive has ignored evidence of poor performance,' said Mr Ruskell this morning. 'This confirms that the Executive could have stopped the crop for this reason alone as our independent legal opinion showed last week.'
During question time last week, Green MSP Mark Ballard asked whether Chardon LL maize offered Value for Cultivation and Use, a prerequisite of the UK national seed listing regulations designed to show whether a new crop has any advantage at all. Bayer's announcement shows that even they accept that this crop does not meet the criteria (1), while the Executive maintain it still meets this criteria.
Chardon LL, a forage maize modified to be tolerant to the herbicide glufosinate ammonium, has had EU marketing consent since 1998, but it has never been grown in any member state. The farm scale evaluations were designed to measure impacts on biodiversity, but they failed to take yields into consideration.
As well as performing badly as a crop, there remain huge question marks over the food safety of this and other GM crops.
'The present food safety testing regime is wholly inadequate,' said Mr Ruskell. 'Until or unless foods derived from GM crops are subject to a rigorous and transparent testing system, these crops must not be commercially grown in the UK or elsewhere in Europe. Following Bayer's decision it is important that the results of ruminant feeding studies carried out for the company are now published. They should not be allowed to bury this data as commercially confidential.'
Notes to editors
1. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/plenary/or-04/sor0325-02.htm#Col7098
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.