On Sunday 1 July Nick Harvey took part in a debate on the ethics of Genetically Modified crops, filmed at Tapley Park for the BBC’s Politics Show hosted by Chris Rogers. The issue of GM foods firmly divides organic and non-organic farmers.

Nick Harvey waded into the debate with Professor Howard Slater, of Cardiff University and CropGen, representing the pro-lobby and Michael Hart, from the Small & Family Farms Alliance, putting the argument against.

Commenting on this contentious issue Nick said:

‘Personally I cannot see GM crops are any way needed in the UK or EU, in the near or distant future, due to the already abundant supply of food available. We should not forget we’ve got many farmers getting out of the business and we have very cheap food prices.

‘When you look further a field with the challenge of climate change and the disappearance of fertile land, I can see the new technology helping and we do have a morale obligation to assist; so I agree that we should experiment with this technology.

‘Nonetheless, industry should be paying to experiment under laboratory conditions and not allowing GM crops out into the wider community contaminating organic farms.

‘In addition politicians should not bow to market forces; public opinion, informed or otherwise, is quite clearly hostile to GM foods. It is simply not acceptable for the industrial lobby to bludgeon and force this onto the market place whether people want it or not.’