Daily Mail, September 8th, 1999 Neighbours' fears force landowner to think again FARMER PULLS THE PLUG ON KEY GM TRIAL By DAVID DERBYSHIRE Science Correspondent A FARMER has abandoned a trial of genetically-modified crops, plunging the Government's testing programme into crisis. David Rose pulled out of plans to plant 25 acres of his land with GM oilseed rape after protests from nearby residents and farmers. His decision will be a huge blow to the Government, whose three remaining farm trials of 'Frankenstein food' crops have been delayed by legal action. Mr Rose was to grow the mutant crop at his farm on behalf of the German biotechnology company AgrEvo. But after opposition from neighbours the land at Screveton, near Nottingham, is being sown with conventional oilseed rape. Friends of the Earth, which has been granted leave to bring a judicial review of the GM trials, welcomed Mr Rose's decision. Its food campaigner Adrian Bebb said yesterday: "This is a disaster for the Government's GM testing programme. Mr Rose has pulled the plug on one trial and Friends of the Earth's legal action may scupper the rest. "It's time for the GM companies and the Government to realise this is a battle that they cannot win. The GM trials are bad science. They threaten the environment. They have no public support." Greenpeace also welcomed the move. Its campaign director Sarah Burton said: 'People who have stood up against AgrEvo and voiced their concern about this genetic pollution should be congratulated. 'This is another sign that Tony Blair's great GM experiment is failing at the hands of the public. The Government should cancel these trials, ban GM food and put the enormous resources they are spending on GM into organic and sustainable farming. That's what the people of the UK want and Tony Blair is mistaken if he believes he can ignore Mr Rose's decision comes after a summer of failed GM trials." Over the past few months protesters have wrecked around 50 smallscale experiments, while at least two farmers have destroyed fields of test crops after complaints from locals. Neighbouring farmers in Nottinghamshire feared that pollen from Mr Rose's GM oilseed rape could contaminate their crops, while local beekeepers complained that genetic pollution might ruin their honey. Beekeeper and farmer Steve Stevenson said: 'I was not impressed with the scientific aspects of this so I had a major concern about whether any honey I had could be legally sold because there is a five-year moratorium on the introduction of these organisms into the human food chain.' AgrEvo was unavailable for comment last night. A leading firm in the GM industry has gone bust. Axis Genetics was caught by the backlash against genetically-modified crops. The company went into administration after failing to raise the 10 million pounds it needed to keep its research going. Yesterday its chief executive admitted public opposition to GM plants had frightened away investors. Unlike biotech giants Monsanto and AgrEvo, Axis was not producing GM food but developing 'veggie vaccines' plants which contain disease-fighting drugs. A potato containing a drug to help combat hepatitis B began clinical trials in the U.S. six weeks ago. Plants which could protect against cancer and diarrhoea were also being developed. Chief executive Iain Cubitt said the Cambridge-based firm had raised 8.2 million pounds towards its work but failed to get more because investors were nervous. 'Some investors are still wary of getting close to GM plants,' Dr Cubitt added. "The main question is the lack of confidence of investors in the biotechnology industry as a whole Some people have made money but others haven't." "I don't believe consumers are suspicious of pharmaceutical products based on GM technology, but the hysteria over GM foods has had some Impact, even though we don't work with food." Half the company's 50 employees were laid off last week when the company called in administrators Ernst and Young The remaining staff face an uncertain future while the accountancy firm searches for a buyer for the firm.