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Cropping out (Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty)

Scotland鈥檚 government has decided to .

The move takes advantage of recent EU regulations that allow individual nations and devolved territories to ban the growth of such crops even if pan-European clearance has been granted by European safety authorities.

The government鈥檚 main rationale is to avoid any possibility that premium Scottish exports such as whisky could be adulterated with GM material.

鈥淎llowing GM crops to be grown in Scotland could damage our clean and green brand and our 拢14-billion food and drink sector,鈥� a government spokeswoman told New Scientist.

The government said it would shortly submit a request for Scotland to be excluded from any European consents for the cultivation of GM crops, including a variety of maize already approved and six other GM crops awaiting authorisation.

But not everyone is thrilled with the decision.

鈥淲e deeply regret that Scotland has decided to make use of the 鈥榣icence to ban鈥� cultivation of safe and approved GM crops on its territory,鈥� says of EuropaBio, a pan-European biotechnology trade association. 鈥淎ny Scottish farmer who may have been interested in using the technology has now officially lost his or her freedom to choose.鈥�

of the Scottish National Farmers Union says the ban is unnecessary because the GM maize already approved for European farmers to grow and the six other products under consideration aren鈥檛 suitable for growing in Scotland anyway.

鈥淚t seems mad to ban it when we鈥檙e not using it anyway,鈥� he says. 鈥淪urely if things come up that are more useful in the future, our farmers should be able to use them.鈥�

Flag-waving

Sands argues that one element behind the ban might be the determination of the Scottish administration to make its policies distinctive from those of the UK parliament in London, which openly backs GM crops.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 flag-waving, an opportunity to be different,鈥� he says.

A spokeswoman for the UK government says the decision was a matter for Scotland, but that the UK government鈥檚 commitment is to base its decisions on the scientific consensus.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish government says that the EU currently imports about 34 million tonnes of GM soya each year for feeding to animals, but had no breakdown on how much is consumed in Scotland.

If the ban is introduced, Scottish farmers will still be allowed to feed imported GM fodder such as soybeans to their livestock.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very hard to source soya that鈥檚 not GM, as the shippers refuse to guarantee that it鈥檚 GM-free,鈥� says Sands.