Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) accuses GM industry body of bungling

Press Release 16may01

The RSPB today said it would resign from the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) of the government-funded Farm Scale Evaluations of GM crops unless SCIMAC withdraws the Wolston site from the trials.

RSPB Conservation Director, Dr Mark Avery, said ‘SCIMAC is bungling the handling of these trials. To plant this crop is to seek a direct conflict with organic farmers and that just isn’t sensible as it will undermine the public credibility of this research.’

‘The buck has to stop somewhere and it stops with SCIMAC’ said Dr Avery. ‘If SCIMAC wants the RSPB to remain associated with the Farm Scale Evaluations then they must ensure that this GM crop is not planted at Wolston.’

Additional Notes:
SCIMAC is the Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops.
The crop involved is a GM maize that has received Part C EU approval for release, but is part of the voluntary agreement between government and industry that ensures no commercial release of GM crops until the field scale trials are complete.

Ms Cherry Farrow, Press Officer
RSPB Headquarters, Sandy. Press Office.
Tel: 01767 680551