GM research to go ahead in foot and mouth zones

The Government is to allow GM crop research to take place on farms in areas infected with foot and mouth disease. Government guidelines on GM crop trials and the foot and mouth crisis obtained by FOE show that only those farms where the disease is confirmed will be closed to the GM scientists. The Government is due to announce dozens of new GM trial sites later this week.

Friends of the Earth believes that 11 Farm Scale Trial sites are already in foot and mouth exclusion zones. In mid-march a number of farmers from around Britain appealed to MAFF and the DETR to suspend this year's trials to reduce the risk of the foot and mouth virus being spread by scientists visiting the sites, and the Pesticide Safety Directive postponed all non-essential field trial visits.

Scientists from five institutions are required to make a number of visits to all the GM sites to monitor wildlife in the trial fields. They will move between farms and between counties. The Department of the Environment has published guidelines for the scientists to disinfect before and after visits, and to leave vehicles off farms. Farmers holding the GM trials are under contract to the biotech industry body SCIMAC.

Pete Riley, Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "It seems the only countryside activity unaffected by the foot and mouth epidemic is the GM crop trials. Despite the fact that there is no demand for GM food, the biotech industry is determined to push ahead with these trials, even in areas infected with this terrible disease, and the Government is equally determined to support them. These GM tests must be halted this year to reduce the risk of spreading foot and mouth further."