A top North scientist who quit a high-profile Government inquiry into genetically modified food said yesterday his stance was justified by reports the Government has apparently approved plans to grow the controversial crops.
Newcastle University professor of ecological agriculture Carlo Leifert quit the inquiry last year because he felt it was set on endorsing the use of GM science.
Yesterday leaked documents from minutes of a February 10 meeting of the Cabinet Office ministerial sub-committee on biotechnology were reported to show a decision to back the sowing of GM maize on a commercial scale.
Prof Leifert said: "I was hoping all this time that I was wrong with what I thought at the time, but this clearly shows that what we suspected is actually true.
"They want to get into growing the crops and are using one dubious test as something that says it will be of environmental benefit.
"That is completely fake. There is a report in the US which shows the true harm of pesticides and GM crops, but the Government have ignored this."
Dr Leifert quit the GM Science Review Panel last July, saying it had been set up simply to rubber-stamp use of the science. He said: "I think it was on the cards and the whole GM science research was not there for evidence, it was there to find a particular result -that there is no risk involved.
"The trouble is, we just do not know what the risks are and we are not able to calculate the long-term impact."
Environmental campaigners also reacted angrily. Conservation groups fear full-scale commercial growing would jeopardise Britain's ability to produce GM-free crops.
Area networker for Greenpeace Tyneside Beryl Newham, of Armstrong Avenue, South Shields, said: "I was shocked, stunned and dismayed when the report came out because it seems contrary to public opinion. Over 70pc of people are against the plans.
"What Greenpeace are most concerned about is contamination, because it is not possible to grow GM and GM-free foods within a few miles of each other without contamination. What happens for people who want to use organic foods? Who is going to pay for the contaminated crops?
"It is going to have to be the taxpayer as usual and that is really unfair. There is no need for it.
"The organic industry is growing and people are becoming more interested in eating organic food with more and more in the supermarkets."
The leaked report said ministers agreed "the public was unlikely to be receptive" to the move but it was agreed "careful presentation" of the EU's focus on evidence-based decision-making could help.
But Friends of the Earth North-East campaigns co-ordinator Frances Aldson said: "The Government's decision to allow the commercial growing of GM maize will directly affect people in the North-East through the food chain.
"Although the major supermarkets chains have recently restated their intention to keep GM ingredients out of their own brand foods, GM maize would almost certainly feature in other branded goods.
"Because of complicated labelling, people would be unaware of this unless they studied the label with a microscope, while current laws mean that foods can contain up to 0.9pc of GM ingredients without having to be labelled as such.
"As a result, people will be eating foods containing GM without even realising it."
The Journal: Today's Voice of the North
Page 2: Ministers' 'contempt for concerns'
