Morrisons’ decision to allow GM feed in the poultry supply chain will be welcomed by many in farming - and should be followed by other retailers.

Poultry farmers have previously faced restrictions on the use of GM feed, forcing the industry to pay over the odds for non-GM supplies. The cost of animal feed is the single-biggest expense for most livestock farmers, with non-GM feed becoming pricier as the availability of non-GM protein (namely soy) decreases.

GM crops already form a key part of the food supply chain. Indeed they provide as much as 70% of the EU’s agricultural protein feed needs, which are under constant pressure from changing global demand.

Morrisons has clearly decided GM soy is the way forward (and no surprise when more than three trillion meals containing GM ingredients have been consumed to date, without one substantiated health issue reported). This is a step in the right direction, but the EU must now create a more sensible regulatory framework for the feed supply system -which doesn’t deny farmers the choice of using GM products.

Dr Julian Little, chair, Agricultural Biotechnology Council

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