PA News | January 13, 2000 | By Amanda Brown, Environment Correspondent, PA News
Government backed rules will fail to protect organic farms from contamination by genetically modified pollen spread from crop trials, it was claimed today.
An independent study commissioned by the Soil Association warns of the risk that organic plants contaminated by genetically modified organisms could be eaten or grown.
This is because the voluntary system of leaving distances of up to 200 metres between them and other crops and plants will not prevent cross-contamination, it claims.
The report says that contrary to industry recommended isolation distances "oil seed rape presents a high risk for cross pollination between source and recipient fields".
It continues: "Pollen dispersal has been recorded at up to four kilometres by insects - some 20 times higher than the recommended isolation distances and three kilometres by the air flow."
The new evidence contradicts the recommended isolation distances endorsed by the industry body charged by the Government to draw up rules governing the release of GMOs into the environment.
These stipulate isolation distances of only 200 metres for organic crops and 50 metres for non-GM rape seed crops.
The report provides evidence of "sugar beet crops presenting a medium to high risk for cross pollination both with other strands and with wild relatives in the UK ... significant quantities have been recorded at over 800 metres".
It is currently proposed to plant hundreds of acres of GM sugar beet this Spring with only six metres between GM crops and conventional varieties.
The Soil Association believes the current voluntary code of practice fails to protect producers of both organic and conventional GM free crops from pollution.
Patrick Holden, Soil Association director, said current guidelines constituted little more than the framework for a license to pollute.
He said: "Our six mile notification zone proposals should be accepted immediately as a precondition for licensing all future trial plants.
"Given the fact that conventional crops are just as vulnerable to genetic pollution, we see no reason why this procedure should not be applied.
"Protecting the right of consumer choice should be the first priority. Government Ministers are on record as pledging to uphold this principle.
"This new report provides irrefutable evidence that must force the Government to amend its GM policy."
The Soil Association is calling on the Government to honour its pledges and to enact legally binding protection with the utmost urgency to avoid potential cross pollination from future GM field trials.
Liberal Democrat agriculture spokesman David Heath MP said: "Liberal Democrats have consistently called for a scientifically credible protocol for future crop trials which includes buffer zones sufficient to prevent pollen drift.
"It is clear that the present voluntary guidelines fail to protect the rights of the vast majority of consumers who do not want to eat GM foods and the risks to the environment from genetic pollution.
"There is no point in the Government pumping funds into organic farming whilst at the same time pumping GM pollen into the environment."
Copyright 2000 PA News.
