Submission to the Scottish Parliament Re:Farm-scale Trials of Genetically Modified (GM) Oilseed Rape at Munlochy, Scotland

The document outlines several objections to GM oilseed rape trials in Scotland, citing poor trial design, the risk of creating herbicide-resistant 'superweeds', and the potential for genetic contamination of non-GM crops. It highlights the dangers of the 'Liberty' herbicide (glufosinate), alleging it causes birth defects in animals and poses a threat to wildlife in Munlochy Bay. Additionally, the submission discusses risks to bees, including horizontal gene transfer and antibiotic resistance, and warns that the use of the cauliflower mosaic virus promoter could lead to new diseases. The authors conclude that the trials are flawed and the crops are economically and environmentally unviable.

• The farm-scale trials are criticized for poor design, specifically for failing to use equivalent varieties of oilseed rape, which introduced an unnecessary variable, and for ignoring the fact that GM crops appeared stunted compared to non-GM crops.
• There is a significant risk of genetic contamination of non-GM crops; while the European Commission recommends a 5 km separation distance to achieve 0.3% contamination, UK trials use only 50 m, aiming for a 1% limit. In Scotland, GM genes have been detected 2.5 km from test sites.
• GM oilseed rape can cross-pollinate with wild relatives in the Brassica family, such as wild radish and wild turnip, potentially creating herbicide-resistant 'superweeds'. This has been documented in field trials in Scotland, Denmark, and France.
• Transgenic oilseed rape varieties developed by Aventis showed lower mean yields and higher variability in yields compared to conventional hybrids, often resulting in reduced financial returns when treated with herbicides.
• The herbicide 'Liberty' (glufosinate) used in the trials is linked to serious health and environmental risks, including birth defects and brain defects in experimental animals, toxicity to aquatic invertebrates, and potential lethal damage to wildlife in Munlochy Bay.
• GM oilseed rape may negatively impact bees by destroying their ability to recognize flower smells and through horizontal gene transfer to gut bacteria. There is also a suggested link between GM crops containing tetracycline-resistant genes and the spread of antibiotic-resistant American foulbrood in bees across the US, Canada, and Argentina.
• The use of a promoter from the cauliflower mosaic virus in GM oilseed rape is flagged as a risk, as fragmented forms of the virus could potentially spread to other plant and animal species, including humans, potentially creating new virulent diseases.

APA

Scientists for Global Responsibility (2003). Submission to the Scottish Parliament Re:Farm-scale Trials of Genetically Modified (GM) Oilseed Rape at Munlochy, Scotland. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/farm-scale-trials-gm-oilseed-rape-munlochy-scotland-sgr-response

Chicago

Scientists for Global Responsibility. Submission to the Scottish Parliament Re:Farm-scale Trials of Genetically Modified (GM) Oilseed Rape at Munlochy, Scotland. 2003. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/farm-scale-trials-gm-oilseed-rape-munlochy-scotland-sgr-response.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Scientists for Global Responsibility |title=Submission to the Scottish Parliament Re:Farm-scale Trials of Genetically Modified (GM) Oilseed Rape at Munlochy, Scotland |date=3 March 2003 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/farm-scale-trials-gm-oilseed-rape-munlochy-scotland-sgr-response |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{scientistsforglobalresponsibility2003submission, author = {{Scientists for Global Responsibility}}, title = {{Submission to the Scottish Parliament Re:Farm-scale Trials of Genetically Modified (GM) Oilseed Rape at Munlochy, Scotland}}, publisher = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2003}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/farm-scale-trials-gm-oilseed-rape-munlochy-scotland-sgr-response}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }