Bayer Deals Blow to GM Crops

BBC 31mar04

GM crop growing has been shelved for the "forseeable future", according to the government.

German company Bayer CropScience was the only firm eligible to grow herbicide resistant maize in the UK.

But it has decided not to cultivate the crop, Chardon LL, blaming government constraints for making it "economically non-viable".

The move is likely to put an end to GM crop growing in this country for "the foreseeable future".

In a statement, Bayer CropScience said government-imposed conditions would stall GM maize production for too long.

"The specific details of these conditions are still not available and thus will result in yet another 'open-ended' period of delay," it said.

Economically non-viable

"These uncertainties and undefined timelines will make this five-year old variety economically non-viable."

But environment minister Elliot Morley defended the government's stance on GM maize.

He said: "We do not apologise for the fact there is a tough EU-wide regulatory regime on GMs. It applies to the whole of the EU not just the UK.

"We always said it would be for the market to decide the viability of growing and selling GM once the government assessed safety and risk.

"Number 10's Strategy Unit report on the costs and benefits of GM last year did say there would be limited short-term commercial benefits in the UK for growing GM."

Chardon LL was given EU permission for cultivation in 1999 but it failed to get the green light in the UK until earlier this month.

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett approved cultivation of the herbicide tolerant maize.

But she rejected commercial cultivation of GM beet and oilseed rape - the two other GM crops involved in recent tests, known as the farm-scale evaluations..

Her statement followed five years of consultation, farm scale trials and a major public survey which showed 90% of the public were against GM crops.

She said the GM maize licences would expire in October 2006, and any consent holders wishing to renew them would have to carry out scientific analysis during cultivation.

Her approach was "precautionary" and "evidence-based", she said.

There was "no scientific case for a blanket approval for all uses of GM... and no scientific case for a blanket ban on the use of GM".

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3584763.stm 31mar04

Bayer Can't Blame Government for GM Maize Withdrawal

Soil Association Press Release, 31 March 2004

The Soil Association today accused Bayer of being deceitful when they put the whole blame for their withdrawal of GM maize on the UK Government.

Peter Melchett, the Soil Association's policy director, said "Bayer are blaming their withdrawal of GM maize from the UK on 'regulatory hurdles' imposed by the British Government. In fact they have been caught out by their own, inaccurate hype.

"GM companies have always claimed that GM crops need less chemical sprays. In the three-year farm scale trials Bayer's GM maize was grown with the use of one weed-killing spray. But Soil Association research in the USA and Canada had already shown that GM maize grown commercially needed at least two weedkillers. Indeed, GM companies in America are even selling branded mixtures of weed killing sprays to farmers growing their GM crops, so they can hardly deny that several sprays are often needed.

"Unfortunately for Bayer, the British Government took them at their word, and said that their GM maize could only be grown using one weedkiller. Based on experience in North America, Bayer know that won't work in practice. In these circumstances, its really not surprising that Bayer have withdrawn the GM maize, effectively ending the prospect of any GM crops being grown in the UK for the foreseeable future."

For media enquiries contact Simon Toseland, Soil Association Press Office, 0117 987 4580 or stoseland@soilassociation.org