Is there no end to these luddites.

They would have us die from the plague & starvation rather than allow testing of these crops.

Go Away!!!

Millions starving on the planet and they want to stop GM food stuffs, why?

The scientists are looking at creating a food source which can grow in extreme conditions. They are creating food stuffs which will grow in deserts, the extreme cold and crops that don’t need to be watered.

So, I would hazard a guess that the protestors want an end to world hunger? I suppose these protestors want us to care for the planet and use less water (irrigating rivers in hot countries destroys wildlife etc)? However, their actions would seem to promote world hunger because Soya and nut cutlets won’t grow in the deserts. The also are advocating the destruction of vital rivers in hot countries, with GM crops there would be no need for the irrigation of rivers.

So, what will they achieve with the protest?

Unless of course they are protesting for the sake of protesting. The CEO obviously drives a Bentley so he is the enemy. The scientists that work there eat beef, so they must be the enemy. Or the fence is painted in an offensive colour used in the oppression of 'post feminist' University lecturers? Who knows?

But, by stopping GM crops they will starve the parts of the world which need to be fed. Counter productive considering they are supposed to care!

Rant over............

Bob On Connor!

The government need to take note, if Brown is going to listen as he promised. Anyone that managed to shout their way into the headlines are NOT what the majority want. Start giving grants to GM R&D now!

This is pure theatrics. Violence has no place in science. Why don't these folks make their points in scientific forums rather that engaging in these kind of theatrics. I detest people who want to intimidate scientists or companies that employ them. Blogger James has written a very excellent article on this issue. In the article, James argues that it doesn't serve public interest to use force and violence on science. He calls for sobriety in the debate about genetically modified foods.

"We must not overlook the role that extremists play. They are the gadflies that keep society from being too complacent."
Abraham Flexner,

Mwana Mwega

Where was the violence in this protest?

I dont agree with what the protesters say, but that doesnt mean they dont have a right to protest.

GM crops will not help to ease the worlds food shortages according to the United Nations and peer reviewed science. Too much money has been wasted on this dead end research(50m per yr) when it could have gone into research into improving organic food production(1.6m per year).
Non violent direct action is a legitimate form of protest and these activists should be praised for stepping out from behind their computers and actually highlighting a public health issue. Were BASF going to sneak their GM crops in the backdoor despite the wishes of the majority of the population of the UK?

do these People work by any chance?

Think & read before you write stuff!!

Growing experimental crops in the open-air is not testing, unless you agree that we have all chosen to be guinea pigs of our own free will.

All commercialised GM crops are engineered for herbicide-tolerance or insecticide-resistance, ie to make the chemical companies more money. In the 90s the GM companies were saying “we'll feed the world”, and you & they are saying it again, but GM crops are not about stopping people starving. People starve mainly due to politics and climate chaos. All other claims for what GM crops could/might do are still fantasy.

The government already do give £50-70 million per year to GM research (compare it with about £2 million for organic agriculture)! Despite all this money and other support, GM still fails to live up to its promises, and continues to endanger our world – pesticide use is up and productivity is down on the increased acreage where GM crops are grown.

The protestors used no violence or force. Some of them work – and chose to take the day off – not that your question deserves addressing. I guess you don't, or you go to work and do nothing, looking at the time you made your comment.

Nuff said.

Alex,

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Megan, you quote the money wasted as being 50m per year based on research published by the United Nations.

Is this the same United Nations (that cost billions) who achieves very little and are as effective as a chocolate teapot? You also say this money should be invested into organic food production? Interesting considering ‘organic food’ is exorbitantly priced and the greedy organic farmers like to charge 5 quid for a chicken (but that’s affordable for middle class earth mothers with a social conscience). I am sure the starving in Africa and other third world countries where food is sparse can afford to nip to ‘Waitrose’ and have the choice of organic products!

Or, you could be looking at the world through ‘rose tinted’ spectacles?

Regarding the activists protest, good for them they did it peacefully, however, I still maintain and would stump up a considerable wager that a majority of them are vegetarian, left wing types who want us all to live in the dark ages and eat dandelions? You say they should be praised for highlighting ‘public health’ issues? I would have thought starvation was a concern to public health and they would encourage any amount of research to feed the masses? Who knows……….

I also bet many of them are anti capitalist, anti this, that, the other and in general protest at any cause which happens to be the current hot topic (this week) between readers of the Grauniad!

Still all isn’t bad with the world, whilst they are banging on about GM crops they will stop lecturing anyone with a car for being a planet killing fascist.

So, we've had the "they want to send everyone back to the dark ages", and "they're all on the dole" one; then came "rent-a-mob"; you haven't got round to the "soap dodgers" or the "I bet they eat GM"/"wear leather shoes"/"travel by car" yet (ie aren't perfect and therefore I can undermine them to justify doing nothing to make the world a better place).

They're not original, nor funny, but hey, if it rocks your boat!

And Connor, many people in other countries already eat organic - either because they don't have the money to buy fertilisers, or because they always have, and don't need it to be certified or come from Waitrose... Oh, and part of the reason perhaps that food is sparse is our meat-based diets, "Cows and sheep need 8kg of grain for every 1kg of meat they produce, pigs about 4kg", and therefore a load of land, etc blah.

Remember, these crops are sterile or are subject to legal terms & conditions of use. Many US farmers have been preyed on by the seed growers for all kinsds of "misuse": Not food for the masses: Misery for the masses & megaprofits for the conglomerates

How much longer are these people's action go unquestioned? They claim that are protesting on health and safety grounds. That is pure drivel on their part. GM food has been eaten for over a decade, by half a billion people, and an estimated trillion meals. Not a single problem ever detected.

They are really defending their own vested interests. They blindly attack corporations, to further their aims of promoting organic food. By the way, organic food is over priced and offers no benefits. And that is a fact.

Greenpeace have campaigned for almost 20 years now, and even they cannot find any evidence of actual harm. My message to them is simple. Stop wasting everyone's time on GM, and start working on the real problems in the world.

Alex, fair points. However, Cows, pigs and sheep taste better than nut cutlets!

I still maintain most of the protesters will protest at anything and everything, especially if the bosses of these companies drive big cars and earn 7 figure wages.

It was the same when I was at Durham University, there was always a protest about something or other and it was always the same people.

They were just a nuisance.

Oh and by the way. The protesters and tree huggers will always loose out because there is so much money involved. The CEO of any life science company wont give a hoot, nor will the shareholders and nor will the government. Also come to think of it, nor will the farmers. Too much money to be made out of it so who cares what a few ‘fair trade cyclists’ have to say because they don’t agree!