Organic farmers claim lifting a ban on GM food could spell disaster

A ban on growing genetically modified crops on our fields is to be lifted next week in the hope it will make our farmers more competitive. But opponents said it could threaten the future of hundreds of organic farms.

As EU law changes it will be left up to each individual country to decide if genetically modified crops can be grown or remain banned.

As the UK Government indicates it will allow production, organic farmers have warned it could spell disaster for the industry.

Hector Christie has staged some high profile campaigns against genetic modification.

The Government is now pro-modification arguing that to be otherwise is to make farmers uncompetitive. The first GM vegetable ready to be grown is a variety of maize.

Meanwhile, sales of organic food rose four per cent to £1.8 billion in the UK last year.

The region's green MEP, though, says the Government has simply caved in to the multinational bio tech firms.