Sargent’s food policy showed poor judgment

YOUR report (February 24) citing a senior garda source describing Trevor Sargent’s actions as “stupid” hit the nail on the head – his poor judgment in Government has been evident for several years.

First, take the Government’s proposal for the public procurement of organic food (Renewed Programme for Government 2009) in the middle of a crippling recession.

Clearly, Mr Sargent didn’t see anything wrong with the idea of using taxpayers’ money directly to support his pals in the organic food sector.

Then examine his banning of GM crop research trials without public consultations despite the fact that such trials in the EU number in excess of 2,400 without any reports of negative effects on health or the environment. Moreover, Greens in government in Germany allowed more than 40 such GM crop trials and Sargent himself allowed the import and use of GM crop products.

Then there were his pseudo-scientific claims that in the developing world organic agriculture yields were almost equal on organic and conventional farms (2009 Green party convention speech).

While it might be hard to be Green, Mr Sargent certainly has made being wrong look way too easy.

Shane Morris

Department of Biochemistry

University College Cork