GM crop prohibition is criticised by expert

A FORMER chief scientific advisor to the Scottish Government has hit out at ministers for banning genetically modified crops.

Professor Anne Glover, who held the role between 2006 and 2011 and has also worked as chief scientific adviser to the president of the European Commission, said it was not clear what evidence the policy was based on and warned that the move could harm Scottish agriculture.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has said that banning the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops would protect Scotland’s “clean, green status”.

But Professor Glover, currently on a sabbatical in Germany from her role as Vice-Principal of External Affairs and Dean for Europe at the University of Aberdeen, said it was “not possible to equate ‘clean and green’ with anti-GM”.

She added: “Traditional agriculture is heavily reliant on substantial chemical input to fertilise and protect from pests and disease. Judicious choice of GM varieties could reduce the need for such heavy chemical input thus reducing [the] negative impact of agriculture on the environment.

“This seems like a missed opportunity for Scottish agriculture to use the best available (EU safety-approved) technology to make Scotland a leader in world agriculture.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman responded by saying food and drink producers in other countries had seen a consumer backlash as a result of using GM crops.

She added: “Scotland has a global reputation for naturally high quality food and drink, which often attracts a premium price and, therefore, allowing GM crops to be grown in Scotland could damage our clean and green brand and our £14 billion food and drink sector.

“That is why the Scottish G over n ment strongly supports the continued application of the precautionary principle in relation to GM.”