The Scottish Government

This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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Two final sites for GM trials

08/07/2002

Two farms ares in Fife and Aberdeenshire are to be considered for inclusion in the final round of the GM farm trials, the xecutive announced today.

The farms have participated in the farm scale evaluation programme previously. If these sites are approved, they will take the total of Scottish sites involved in this three year, six season, research programme to 17.

The sites have been proposed for the planting of an autumn-sown variety of oilseed rape which has been genetically modified to be tolerant to the herbicide glufosinate ammonium. The programme is comparing the impact on biodiversity of farming methods used on the GM crop, with the weed-control measures used on an equivalent non-GM crop. The programme of trials is not assessing the safety of the GM crop. There would be no question of growing this crop if its safety had not already been established over many years' prior research.

Ministers are not involved in the selection of sites. However, applications will only be approved if Ministers are satisfied that growing this crop at the sites will not pose a threat to human health or the environment. They will be advised in this matter by a range of independent experts.

The sites themselves are chosen on scientific grounds by the researchers who are conducting the fieldwork and the independent scientific steering committee, which is concerned to ensure that valid data will be collected from a representative sample of fields..

There will be no commercial growing of GM in Scotland at least until the programme is completed and the results have been assessed. The results will be only one component of any decision about commercialisation.

It is important that people know what is happening in the GM trials and why. For this reason the proposed sites are being announced six weeks before a decision will be taken by Ministers on whether to permit the crop to be sown. This will give people the opportunity to find out more about the GM trial programme. The Scottish Executive is writing today to local MSPs, Aberdeenshire and Fife councils, community councils and other interest groups to ensure that detailed information reaches everyone living near the proposed sites. Ministers expect to reach a decision around 19 August.

The proposed sites are located at the following grid references:

2002 is the third year and final season of plantings under the farm scale evaluation programme. The final autumn-sown oilseed rape crops will be sown this August. For climatic reasons no crops other than GM oilseed rape have been grown at Scottish trial sites. The GM oilseed rape being grown in the programme has been modified to be resistant to a particular herbicide. This herbicide is already approved for use in conventional farming and is used in a number of agricultural and domestic applications.

The farm scale evaluations are not testing the safety of the GM crops. They are a three-year UK-wide programme allowing independent researchers to study the impact on farmland biodiversity (in particular weed species and other organisms such as bees and butterflies who live amongst these weeds) of the agricultural practices associated with growing a GM crop modified to be resistant to a particular herbicide, as compared with the effects of weed-control measures used on an equivalent non-GM crop.

The GM crops being grown in the programme have already been subject to over a decade's research in laboratories, greenhouses and small plots of land. The evidence of this and other associated scientific research have been considered by the independent experts who comprise the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). The advice of ACRE is that the crops being grown in the farm scale evaluations are no more of a threat to human or animal health, or the environment than conventional oilseed rape. These crops would not have received approval for growing in this research programme if there was reason to doubt their safety.

These autumn-sown crops will be harvested in late summer 2003 and will complete the evaluation programme. After harvest, the data will be collated and analysed. The results will then be published in a respected peer-reviewed scientific journal. The results will also be made available in a form readily accessible to the general public.

The farm scale evaluation programme is responding to the reality of a number of herbicide tolerant GM crops being on the brink of commercialisation in the UK. This research will equip the Scottish Executive and other UK administrations to make decisions about commercialisation of GM crops of this kind based on factual information. The Scottish Executive takes the view that future decisions about the possible commercial growing of particular GM crops should be based on a sound, empirical foundation. The results of the farm trials are one component of this foundation.

Scottish Ministers determine whether or not to grant approval by taking advice from scientific advisory bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and Scottish Natural Heritage. They will also consider any representations submitted by the public. Approval for Scottish sites to participate in the FSE evaluations will only be granted when Scottish Ministers are satisfied that this GM crop can be grown at this selected sites without posing a threat to the local environment or human health.

The Executive recognise that many people have uncertainties about GM crops and wish to give the public the opportunity to become aware of what these evaluations involve and why they are considered necessary. The statutory period for this process was recognised by Ministers and the Agriculture & Environment Biotechnology Commission as being unsatisfactory. This summer Ministers have secured an extended notification period of 6 weeks. It has been agreed with the industry that decisions on the applications need not be taken until that period has elapsed. If approved, this would enable planting to take place in the second half of August depending upon weather and soil conditions.

More information about farm-scale evaluations and GM policy is available on the Scottish Executive website: www.scotland.gov.uk/gm.