Scientist says she hopes SNP will allow GMcrops

‘Old and dirty’ not ‘clean and green’

The Scottish Government’s former chief scientific adviser has said she is hopeful the SNP “might change” their mind on the banning of genetically- modified (GM) crops.

Aberdeen University’s Anne Glover said the proscription of GM would mean Scotland is “less likely to be able to go down the path of sustainable climate-safe agriculture”.

But Ms Glover, who was also the former scientific adviser to the European president, said she was “hopeful” that the Scottish Government might reconsider the ban.

Rural Affairs secretary Richard Lochhead announced the ban in August in what he claimed was a bid to maintain Scotland’s “clean, green” status.

The move has proved controversial, with Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie recently claiming Mr Lochhead was akin to people “who questioned Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin”.

Ms Glover said: “I hope that on reflection, the Scottish Governmentwill accept that the global scientific consensus is that GM technology is safe and that it may be of future value to Scotl a n d in delivering clean green agriculture by choosing how to apply GM technology in agriculture. By restricting ourselves to traditional agricultural practices, we are less likely to be able to go down the path of sustainable climate-safe agriculture.

“I hope we don't consign ourselves to ‘old and dirty’ in the mistaken viewthat it is ‘clean and green’.

“My experience of the SNP Government is that they know the value of scienceandevidence in policymaking so I hope their position

m i g h t change in the future.” A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Like two thirds of EU member states, Scotland has decided to opt out of EU consents to cultivateGMcrops. This decision is part of the Scottish Government’s long-held position to maintain a precautionary approach to GM.

“While ministers very much value the views of our scientific community, government has a responsibility toconsider other social, environmental and economic factors. For example, three quarters of Scottish seed potato exports, worth £60million per year, require specific confirmation that theproducts are GM-free.”

BAN: Prof Anne Glover says the global consensus is that GM technology is safe

Richard Lochhead