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Royals In Clash Over GM Foods

A royal rift has developed over genetically-modified crops, with the Duke of Edinburgh joining the Princess Royal in playing down concerns in remarks which appear to contradict the views of the Prince of Wales.

The duke's comments came just days after his daughter was criticised by environmentalists when she also spoke out in favour of GM foods in the industry magazine, The Grocer.

Squirrel

Prince Philip said: "Do not let us forget we have been genetically modifying animals and plants ever since people started selective breeding.

"People are worried about genetically-modified organisms getting into the environment. What people forget is that the introduction of exotic species - like, for instance, the introduction of the grey squirrel into this country - is going to do, or has done, far more damage than a genetically-modified piece of potato."

The duke's remarks were in response to a lecture at Windsor Castle by Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Dr Sacks was delivering the annual St George's House Lecture and touched on GM crops while discussing the wider issue of genetics.

Some food safety experts have backed the Princess Royal's views.

She had declared: "It is a huge over-simplification to say all farming ought to be organic or there should be no GM foods. I'm sorry, but life isn't that simple.

"Man has been tinkering with food production and plant development for such a long time that it's a bit cheeky to suddenly get nervous about it when, fundamentally, you're doing much the same thing."

Friends of the Earth food campaigner Adrian Bebb said the Princess had over-simplified the argument: "There is a huge, fundamental difference between traditional crop breeding and genetic engineering, where you're crossing the species barrier.

"If we're going to produce food in this way we have got to be absolutely sure of what we're doing, and at the moment we just do not know enough.

Research

"I think the Princess is absolutely wrong in saying this is what we have always done."

But plant biotechnology expert Prof Jim Dunwell, of Reading University, a member of the CropGen panel of scientists which puts the case for research into GM farming, said: "Her point about GM being an extension of existing technology is certainly true, and lots of foodstuffs we eat now have had quite major genetic changes to them for years now".