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Scotland's rural affairs secretary has said that the country will ban the growing of genetically modified crops and opt out of allowing EU-approved GMOs such as MON 810 (corn with an added Bacillus thuringiensis gene):
Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was not prepared to "gamble" with the future of the country's £14bn food and drink sector. He is to request that Scotland be excluded from any European consents for the cultivation of GM crops. But farming leaders said they were disappointed by the move. Under EU rules, GM crops must be formally authorised before they can be cultivated. An amendment came into force earlier this year which allows member states and devolved administrations to restrict or ban the cultivation of genetically modified organisms within their territory.
[...] Mr Lochhead added: "There is no evidence of significant demand for GM products by Scottish consumers and I am concerned that allowing GM crops to be grown in Scotland would damage our clean and green brand, thereby gambling with the future of our £14bn food and drink sector. Scottish food and drink is valued at home and abroad for its natural, high quality which often attracts a premium price, and I have heard directly from food and drink producers in other countries that are ditching GM because of a consumer backlash."
[...] The move has also been broadly welcomed by environment groups. But Scott Walker, chief executive of farming union NFU Scotland, said he was disappointed that the Scottish government had decided that no GM crops should ever be grown in Scotland. "Other countries are embracing biotechnology where appropriate and we should be open to doing the same here in Scotland," he said. "These crops could have a role in shaping sustainable agriculture at some point and at the same time protecting the environment which we all cherish in Scotland." Huw Jones, professor of molecular genetics at agricultural science group Rothamsted Research, said the announcement was a "sad day for science and a sad day for Scotland. He said that GM crops approved by the EU were "safe for humans, animals and the environment".
The European Parliament voted to give member states the ability to opt-out of allowing the cultivation of EU-approved GMOs in January.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 10 2015, @09:14PM
You are wrong about the BT Corn. The protein does not leach out of the plant. The only insects that are affected by it are those that eat the plant.
Also remember that the choice isn't between GMO and organic it is between GMO/GMO-assisted pesticides and regular pesticides. Similar to the situation with energy. The choice isn't between nuclear and nothing or a pipeline and nothing it is between nuclear and coal or a pipeline and trucks.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 10 2015, @10:49PM
If it is only insects that eat the corn, why bother growing it?
Or do people and farm animals also eat the insecticide?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 10 2015, @11:31PM
It is an insecticide that specifically kills insects. IIRC the mechanism is related to the high pH (as opposed to the low pH in animals) of the gastric juices that triggers crystallization of the BT protein which can damage the insect due to its small size. The protein is from a bacteria (Clatu Verati ... cough ... Bacillius thurengines = BT) that is commonly sprayed on organic crops.
Check the Wikipedia article for more accurate information as it has been a while since I've looked into this.