Michael Meacher, who earlier this month was pushed out of his job as Britain’s environment minister, this weekend accused Prime Minister Tony Blair’s administration of systematically disregarding evidence that genetically modified (GM) foods could pose threats to human health or the environment. Meacher’s charge comes as the British government is preparing to release two reports claiming that it’s in the nation’s best interest to embrace GM technology, part of a larger campaign to convince a skeptical public that GM foods are safe. This fall, Britain’s Royal Society will release the results of controversial scientific trials testing the effects of GM crops on wildlife, and the government is expected to point to these results as it pushes for Britain to grow GM crops and import GM food. British citizens have been highly suspicious of GM products to date, leading supermarkets to shun them.
