Banning GM research is like banning books

YOUR report on Environment Minister John Gormley’s anti-GM comments in Paris (July 5) says France has “banned all GM” crops.

This is incorrect. France has allowed 587 GM crop trials since 1992. This is most of the EU’s 2,253 GM field trials (as of May ‘08).

France’s research trials have included GM varieties of corn, potatoes, beet, sunflowers and trees. Its new GM law will specifically allow continued research and development of GM crops and officials (including Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier) have stressed France will examine the safe use of each crop variety on a case by case basis.