I do not believe that the Government has adopted a sufficiently precautionary approach to the release of GMOs to the natural environment. The Government may believe that it has taken a precautionary approach in thus far preventing the commercial planting of GMOs, but I believe that the Government did not give sufficient weight to the potential impacts of GMOs on biodiversity when it decided to press ahead with the current Farm Scale Evaluations (FSEs) in the face of considerable public opposition.

Neither the Government nor the GM industry has the ability to adequately control the release of GM products to the environment and their subsequent dispersal. This has been demonstrated by the recent accidental release of the wrong type of GMO within the FSEs. Other examples can be cited where concerns arise from lack of control. I also believe that the Food Standards Agency and the food industry do not have adequate control over the inclusion of GM products within the food chain. This is demonstrated by the fact that it has not been possible to define or give guarantees that food products are GM-free. Instead we have witnessed specious arguments over how close to zero a GM content is near enough GM-free. I want to retain for the future the ability to choose an entirely GM-free organic honey, for example. Neither do I believe that it will be possible in future to develop adequate controls over GM dispersal or inclusion in the food chain. This central issue of a lack of control over GMOs is fundamental to concerns about the impact of GMOs, particulary on future generations and on the environment in the long term. These concerns have not been given adequate weight by Government.

The AECB noted that concerns over the FSEs arose partly from the way in which trial sites were selected using scientific criteria and their locations decided and announced in the absence of consultation. I believe that it is unfortunate that the Government has apparently not learnt the lessons about how to go about siting contentious experiments and facilities from the work on radioactive waste disposal facilities.

Background:

Dr David Bennett is an Environmental Consultant specialising in the regulation of radioactive waste disposal.