Protecting field trials of genetically modified crops from vandalism has become the largest cost for U.K. scientists studying the organisms. A Leeds University scientist said one trial that cost £25,000 had a “six-figure” bill for security. Activists have vandalized numerous trials, prompting officials to install 24-hour security and fences at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany. There has been a steep drop in GM trials in the U.K., said a researcher at Reading University, with only a single application last year, while there are about 1,000 trials a year in the U.S. GM crops are widespread in North and South America but face resistance in Britain, where concerns of food safety and environmental impact fuel an ongoing debate.
GM Crop Researchers in Britain Complain About High Security Costs
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