FRIENDS OF THE EARTH: Too sexy for
their genes!
OTC 03.09.98 21:12
SEP 3, 1998, M2 Communications - Key research on genetically engineered crops (GMOs),
"Promiscuity in Transgenic Plants", published in this week's "Nature"
magazine, shows that there is a serious risk of genetic pollution from GMO crops. A report
from Joy Bergelson and colleagues at the University of Chicago suggests that there is an
unexplained increase in the promiscuity of certain transgenic plants. The result could be
a rapid cross-breeding between GMO crops and other wild weed relatives, possibly producing
'superweeds' resistant to normal herbicides.
Commenting on the research Adrian Bebb, Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
"This research indicates how unpredictable genetic engineering can be. If the
modified oilseed rape planned for the UK is as promiscuous as this then we may face the
serious environmental threat of superweeds in our countryside. The Government must now,
finally, impose an immediate moratorium on these crops until detailed research can be
completed."
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