GM break-in 'scandalous' says NFU President
NFU President Peter Kendall has today condemned the vandalism of the country’s first ever GM wheat trial.
In a speech to MPs at the House of Commons later to launch the new NFU Farming Delivers for Britain campaign, Mr Kendall is expected to liken the damage to the Nazi book burners of the 1930’s.
The wheat trial was vandalised on Sunday during a break-in at the Rothamsted Research Centre. Next weekend the Take the Flour Back action group is planning a mass protest at the site in Hertfordshire.
’I am sorry to say that there still is a widespread view that farming is a low-skilled, low-tech backward looking industry’, Mr Kendall will say. ’The truth is that much of British agriculture is using cutting-edge technology and the application of science will determine our future.
’In passing I have to condemn the scandalous attempts over the weekend to destroy the trials of GM wheat at Rothamsted. This is criminal, and must be dealt with as such. It’s worse than that. It is the wilful imposition of ignorance, directly comparable to Nazi book-burning in the 1930’s.
’Those who have incited this activity, under the guise of a peaceful demonstration, should hang their heads in shame.’
Mr Kendall said that science is the key to help farming deliver to help meet the challenges that lie ahead.
’If the aim is to feed 9 billion people by 2050 there is a sense of urgency to start dealing with this issue now against a backdrop of pressures on natural resources, unpredictable weather patterns, climate change and the need to manage more carefully the use of chemical inputs.
’To achieve this we will need every single tool in our toolbox - and that includes GM crops that have been adapted to cope in dry conditions, need fewer pesticides or offer nutritional benefits.
’Of course there needs to be a strong legal framework for approvals and effective co-existence measures to allow GM and non-GM systems to operate successfully together but these must be proportional to the need so that growers can retain their markets, and must be based on sound science.’
