Tories and Labour renew backing for GM food crops

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/05/gm-food-crops-demand-prices

Controversial genetically modified food crops could help to massively increase food production to meet growing populations and consumption, politicians from both major parties said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the annual Oxford Farming Conference, agriculture minister Jim Paice said the promised benefits of GM varieties – which would need less nitrogen fertiliser, pesticides or fresh water than non-GM foods – could not be ignored, as demand was rising and pressure on resources and land increasing.

"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," said Paice. "It's going to be a big challenge for the industry and consumers as to whether they are prepared to welcome that for the major environmental gains against the concerns people have against GM."

With "sustainable intensification" of farming a top conference theme, Paice said the UK wanted the European Union to agree to lift restrictions on trials and sale of GM products, so countries like the UK could "do it's own thing" so "we can use this technology where appropriate".

[Nihil]

1. No, Mr. Paice ...

> Paice said the UK wanted the European Union to agree to lift restrictions on trials
> and sale of GM products, so countries like the UK could "do it's own thing" so
> "we can use this technology where appropriate".

... "the UK" bloody well doesn't.

The only people in the UK who *do* want that are either employed by the industry
(including shippers) or 'merely' being funded by them (and I mean you Mr.Paice).