Writer and activist Mark Lynas has accused Scottish authorities of being too afraid to make any progress on GM.
The God Species author told the World Potato Congress: “Scotland has a policy of being GM-free, based not on knowledge and reason, but on ignorance and superstition. Everyone is too polite to say that Scotland is in the Dark Ages [on this].”
Lynas’s comments followed a speech by Richard Lochhead, in which the Scottish government cabinet secretary for rural affairs and environment had talked of the Scottish Enlightenment and the country’s “strong tradition” of agricultural sciences.
However, there was no mention of GM and according to Lynas the chances of a second such period of innovation and scientific accomplishment are being hampered by the country’s policy on GM, which has also seen important research centres like the James Hutton Institute “have its hands tied”.
“If you try and stop technological innovation you betray the fine tradition of The Enlightenment. This [policy of being GM-free] must go if Scotland is to lead in the future.”
Other senior figures suggested that the Scottish government had “backed itself into a corner” but were unwilling to go on the record.
One senior researcher, speaking to FPJ, said the academic sector in Scotland was fearful of speaking out due to the reliance it has on government for funding. He also admitted that on open days to his research centre “we are told not to talk about GM”. He added: “I don’t think you can keep breeding new potato varieties by the conventional route - it’s just such a fragmented industry that it takes too long. If anyone can change the government policy on this it will be industry.”
South of the border, politicians have been showing a more relaxed attitude towards GM. Earlier this year farming minister Jim Paice said: “GM is not the answer to everything, but in the foreseeable future we’ll have nitrogen-fixing wheat - if that isn’t going to be a major development I don’t know what is.”
Planned protests at Rothamsted Research station this week saw only a couple of hundred people turn up. Lynas said that could prove a “tipping point” and pave the way for a similar communications effort on other crops with, arguably, more benefits.
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