GM threat to food industry

DEAR EDITOR I am writing in response to Walter Simon, extolling the virtues of planting GM Crops and the benefits of these to the farmers.

As a farmer, I would urge Mr Simon to be cautious when encouraging fellow farmers to invest their land and money in a technology based on out-dated and under researched science.  If he thinks that the industry can benefit from biotechnology then he should be informing his fellow farmers about more up to date, better researched technological innovations such as Marker Assisted Technology.  These give disease resistance, insect resistance and draught resistance to crops without risk to health, the environment or the economy.

GM contamination threatens the whole food and farming industry.

Virtually every farmer and food producer will be hit financially.  They will have to pay to prevent GM contamination through land segregation, GM testing and machinery and vehicle cleaning.  They will incur costs when contamination does occur through lost sales and the need to dump contaminated crops and withdraw contaminated products from supermarket shelves.

Finally, they will be exposed to great financial risks.  Normally the victims of pollution are entitled to compensation - but the Government has decided that in the case of GM contamination the polluters will not be liable and that there will be no compensation.

-- GILL ROWLANDS

Penarthur Farm,
St Davids.

Western Telegraph: dateline 7th May 2003