Defra Approves Field Trials for GM Camelina

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has granted permission for Rothamsted Research to conduct field trials on GM Camelina sativa plants. The permission is for the application filed in late January 2014 to carry out a GM field trial on the Rothamsted farm in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. The risk assessment was reviewed by the independent Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE), and Defra has carried out a 60-day public consultation. ACRE is satisfied that all scientific issues raised by the public with respect to this application have been addressed.

Professor Johnathan Napier, lead scientist of the project at Rothamsted Research said, "We are very pleased to welcome the decision of Defra to grant us permission to carry out our proposed field trial. We have made considerable progress over the last 10 years in designing and developing these plants and my colleagues and I am very happy that we can now test the performance of these plants in the field, under real life conditions."

For more information, read the news release at http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/news/rothamsted-research-granted-permission-defra-carry-out-field-trial-with-gm-camelina-plants. To learn more about the project, visit http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/camelina.