🚀 go-pugleaf

An interesting statement, and more balanced than many. There is one view, 
though, which I feel the Institute might feel obliged to expand on one day. It 
is at the end of the environmental concerns section: "Finally, it has been 
suggested that the adoption of insect-resistant crops by farmers worldwide may 
lead to the extinction of certain insect species (e.g. the Lepidoptera) thereby 
reducing the biodiversity of the planet. Some of the potential risks are almost 
impossible to predict."

It contrasts with this statement from English Nature:

Genetically Modified Crops Threaten Wildlife - 27 March 1998 
English Nature, the Government wildlife advisers, today welcomed a statement 
from Professor John Beringer, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Releases to 
the Environment (ACRE), about possible damage to wildlife caused by growing 
genetically modified (GM) crops. Professor Beringer made his remarks at the 
launch of ACRE's Annual Report. In his statement, Professor Beringer 
acknowledged that increased herbicide use associated with the use of GM 
herbicide tolerant crops, such as maize, sugar beet and oilseed rape, could put 
yet more pressure on farmland wildlife. 

Conservation agencies have been concerned for some time that the use of GM 
herbicide tolerant and insect resistant crops could greatly reduce weeds and 
insects on farmland, which in turn might threaten the survival of several 
species of farmland birds, including skylarks, finches and buntings. 

Dr Brian Johnson, English Nature's advisor on genetically modified organisms 
said today: "The development of GM crops may be a revolution in farming as 
profound and as far-reaching as the introduction of intensive farming in the 
1950s. Professor Beringer is rightly concerned about the possible fate of 
farmland wildlife when GM crops are grown widely. We very much welcome his 
suggestion that this issue is considered in depth before that revolution takes 
place, so that measures which address these issues may be put in place before 
potential damage is done. We would be pleased to contribute our knowledge and 
experience to any forum discussing this issue and we have some positive ideas 
on mitigation of the effects of growing these crops." 

EN and, as far as I know, ACRE are not exactly scaremongers, and I suspect 
their view reflects that of a lot of conservationists.

Regards,

Roger

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Roger Whitehead,
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