THIS island is too small for organic and GM farming to co-exist. SCIMAC, the agricultural industry's body which chooses GM trial sites, has withdrawn a proposed GM maize crop which threatened to contaminate a nearby organic research centre.
However, there are a further 88 organic farms in Britain which lie within six kilometres of GM trial sites and their organic status is also threatened by cross pollination.
As more and more farms are going organic in response to market forces, it is highly irresponsible to put their future at risk. It is obviously impossible to grow GM crops commercially in Britain because of the risk of conventional and organic crops becoming contaminated with GMOs.
By voting with their shopping trolleys, the public has already made it clear that it rejects GM foods and favours organic produce.
The Government should heed this and change its policies.
Madeleine Parkyn,
Palace Hill,
Scarborough.
Updated: 11:35 Saturday, June 23, 2001
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