Villagers force a halt to crop trial

Sunday-Times (UK) 12apr00

Richard Thompson, a dairy and arable farmer from Lincolnshire, said last night that he had abandoned plans for a trial of GM sugar beet on land he owns at Tittleshall, Norfolk, after protests from villagers. He said his decision followed a village public meeting last week when the mood was overwhelmingly anti-trials.

"It is a pity, these trials need to be carried out. But the villagers felt very strongly against the trials and were very concerned. These were genuine concerns; and only local people were allowed to attend. It would have been wrong to go ahead."

He said the five-acre site was close to the village and he had no alternative but to pull out. He sent a note to every home on Monday informing local people that he had changed his mind.

Carine Offord, clerk to Tittleshall Parish Council, last night confirmed the mood in the village. "There was a considerable amount of opposition to the GM trial in the village, which I suppose is not surprising when people think they do not have enough information about the issue."

A Greenpeace spokesman last night welcomed the decision, but added: "We will not be happy until these trials are all cancelled."

A spokesman for the Supply Chain Initiative for Modified Agricultural Crops, which enlists the farmers for trials, said Mr Thompson's withdrawal would not affect the future of the program.

Last night in Norwich officials from the Department of the Environment and scientists monitoring the GM crop trials attended a public meeting to explain the trials and listen to local people's concerns.