Friday, March 29, 2024

GM crops could be grown in post-EU England

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English farmers could be allowed to grow genetically modified crops when Britain leaves the European Union.
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Writing a Parliamentary answer, Farming Minister George Eustice confirmed the Government was looking at possible future arrangements for the regulation of genetically modified organisms as part of preparations for EU exit.

Any renewed regulations would be science-based and proportionate.

In nearly 20 years of the technology, only one commercial variety, GM maize MON 810, had been licensed for use in Europe.

But post-Brexit, Britain could welcome commercial production of tomatoes rich in antioxidants and blight-resistant potatoes, despite concerns from environmentalists.

Any new rules implemented by the government were likely to be less problematic than EU regulation because of the absence of evidence to suggest they were unsafe to eat.

The National Institute of Agriculture Botany (NIAB) said critical issues – such as market demand, potential size of the market relative to the investment needed and the United Kingdom’s relationship with the EU – must be factored into any decision to take a GM crop to the market.

But supermarket chain Waitrose had received its first shipment of soya grown in the Danube region of Europe as it tried to bring its supply chain closer to home.

The move, announced at the Waitrose Farming Partnership’s annual conference at Telford, was intended to reduce its reliance on South American supply as demand from the developing world increased.

Animal feed used by Waitrose supplier was 11% soya with about 3% of it GM.

The Soil Association said the move was the biggest blow against GM crops this century.

Waitrose managing director Rob Collins said “Everyone knows the difficulty of sourcing soya from South America.

“It fits perfectly into our strategy to improve our supply chain security by sourcing animal feed from raw materials grown at home or within the UK and Europe.”

Dalehead foods agriculture director Andrew Saunders said it planned to reduce soya in diets.

Waitrose had been running a faba bean project with the intention of replacing soya in diets with faba beans or other UK-grown crops.

“We are targeting to maximise use of UK-grown feed crops where possible and to be the first to develop a European supply chain,” he said.

“In pigs, our use of soya has been falling. It has fallen about 50% over the last 10 years.”

Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett said it had opposed the large-scale but hidden use of GM crops as animal feed by UK supermarkets which was not required to be labelled.

“GM soya from Latin America is linked to rainforest destruction so sourcing non-GM soya from the Danube region and using more UK-grown protein crops is good for the climate, good for UK farmers and good for consumers.”

UK Farmers Guardian

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