The Herald revealed yesterday that a senior UK Government minister wants a rethink on the use of GM crops in light of rising food prices and crop shortages caused by climate change.
Mass protests in 2004 led to strict limits placed on GM experiments, with a voluntary ban on engineered crops put in place north of the border after demonstrators destroyed a small number of test sites in Aberdeenshire and Fife.ÂÂ
The Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI), based at Invergowrie near Dundee, said yesterday that "the time was right" to put a discussion about GM crops back on the agenda.
Professor Peter Gregory, chief executive of the SCRI, said: "There should be an informed debate about GM technology and I think that the lesson learned from last time round was on how not to have a grown up debate on the issue. Talk about Frankenstein foods` does not allow a rational exploration of the potential for the technology."
The SCRI said that GM technology could play a vital role in insuring a stable and healthy food supply.
Mr Gregory said plant diseases such as Late Blight, which was responsible for the Irish Potato Famine, remained a significant concern for farmers but could be easily controlled if a GM potato seed, engineered to resist the pathogen, was allowed.
He said: "In the 20 years of GM, there have been no environmental disasters and there is no proven case of human illness linked to the use of GM plant products. There are a lot of misleading press statements about GM food."
The Scottish Government said it would be "very concerned" about the viability of GM crops being reconsidered.
At Westminster, Peter Ainsworth, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: "We understand the public concern caused by the development of genetically modified organisms and remain concerned that proper husbandry guidelines to prevent cross-contamination are still lacking in this country.
"No GM crops should be grown in the UK until the science shows that this would be safe for people and the environment and until issues of liability and crop segregation are resolved."
Angus Robertson, the SNP leader in the Commons, welcomed a debate where people had access to all of the facts but he added: "I have remaining concerns about GM foods and the ability of consumers to secure products which do not have GM ingredients. If the UK Government can clarify this point as part of the debate that would be a major step forward."
For the Liberal Democrats, Mike Rumbles MSP, the Shadow Rural Affairs Secretary at Holyrood, said: "Liberal Democrats will oppose any attempts to contravene the tough and restrictive regime for GM crops in Scotland that we implemented whilst in government."
Soil Association Scotland`s director ?Hugh Raven said: "I don`t think there is anything new which merits a resumption of the national conversation we had about GM crops a few years ago, nor do I think GM has anything to offer to stem current problems of high food prices, which are largely driven by high oil prices."
Friends of the Earth Scotland also reacted against any revival of the GM option.
Duncan McLaren, chief executive, said: "The UK government has been seriously misled if it thinks GM crops are going to help tackle the food crisis - GM crops do not increase yields or tackle hunger and poverty."
© 2008 Newsquest (Herald & Times) Limited
Source: The Herald,
www.theherald.co.uk 
