SO THE British government has finally taken the plunge and given the go-ahead for commercial growing of a genetically modified crop. It has placed so many hurdles in the way of planting that it is more like an amber light than a green one (see page 4), but the move is certainly symbolic and will reverberate round the world.
The decision is based in large measure on the results of a unique set of farm trials designed to compare the effects on farmland biodiversity of GM maize, beet and oilseed rape (canola) with those of non-GM strains grown in the…
