The ban on GMO crops will see Scotland opting out of the European Union pro-GM farming regime. The government in Scotland has plans to apply to be excluded from the approvals for GM crops across Europe. The application will be lodged in Brussels.
Under European Union rules, before GM crops can be cultivated in any EU nation, they must be authorized.
The announcement to prohibit GMO crops in Scotland came over the weekend. Richard Lochead, the rural affairs secretary, said no evidence suggests GMO crops are in high demand among consumers in Scotland, and he fears that the country’s “clean and green” brand would be damaged if GM crops were allowed in Scotland.
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP, welcomed the announcement to ban GMO crops, saying she agreed that the crops would harm Scotland’s reputation for having high quality food and drink.
Johnstone did call on ministers to go further and to challenge big retailers to improve the way they label products. She would like to see big retailers’ labels to show whether or not dairy products come from animals that were fed GMO feed.
Scott Walker, chief executive of NFU Scotland, a farming union, said that the announcement left him disappointed. Walker said other countries are embracing biotechnology where appropriate and Scotland should be doing the same thing.
Walker added that GMO crops could have played a role in shaping sustainable agriculture at some point, while protecting the environment.
