By Tim Pauling

The debate over genetically-modified crops has erupted again after it was
revealed they had been mistakenly sown in Tayside and Grampian.
Environment Minister Michael Russell said the incident posed a ?serious
risk? to the environment. Green campaigners expressed their horror and
called for an investigation to ensure it did not happen again.

It was revealed yesterday that trial sowings of a new variety of oilseed
rape at two sites in Aberdeenshire and one near Arbroath were found to
contain small amounts of unauthorised genetically-modified (GM) material.

Further sowings of the seed have been stopped. The plants at the three trial
sites will be destroyed as will the remaining seeds.

It is understood the seeds came from America where the use of GM crops is
widespread.

Mr Russell said: ?Had these plants been allowed to mature, the risk to the
environment could have been very serious.

?This further emphasises the continuing need for rigorous controls on GM
material and for Scotland to remain a GM crop-free zone.

?The Scottish Government is working with stakeholders to understand how this
occurred and to ensure that it never happens again.?

Aberdeen City Council deputy leader Kevin Stewart, a key member behind the
now-defunct Grampian Against GM, said he was ?horrified? by the incident but
glad action had been taken quickly to destroy the crop.

?This could have been extremely serious and could have resulted in
cross-contamination elsewhere,? he said. ?I think this quite clearly shows
that the GM companies have not got this right and it is appalling that
ordinary, normal seeds are being contaminated by GM seeds.?

Another anti-GM campaigner, Aberdeen North SNP MSP Brian Adam, said he was
not confident seeds from the US were GM-free.

?I think it will give Scotland?s agriculture an edge, in terms of marketing,
in being GM-free, but these incidents are not helpful,? he said.

Friends of the Earth Scotland director Duncan McLaren said: ?There must be
an urgent investigation to find out how this incident occurred, how it can
be prevented from happening again, and what guarantees can be given that it
is not part of a wider problem.?

But farmers said GM crops may help guarantee food security.

A spokeswoman for NFU Scotland said: ?NFU Scotland agrees the current EU
rules relating to cultivation of GM crops should not be breached. However,
the time has clearly come for there to be a sensible and
scientifically-based discussion on the role of biotechnology in
agriculture.?
www.checkbiotech.org