GM vines out in the open? UPDATE

Back in May I noted a story that said that French researchers were trialling genetically modified vines outside.

Recently it was reported that the trial site had been vandalised. It turns out that they were testing some vines made to be more resistant to Grapevine Fanleaf virus (pdf information sheet from Western Australia here), which is a debilitating and non-curable disease found in many wine producing areas of the world.

The planting was destroyed, so it is a big setback for the evaluation of genetically modified vines.

With the challenges facing the human race, in terms of being able meet the demands for dramatic reductions in the use of pesticides while at the same time increasing the productivity of plants and their quality as well, there needs to be a considerable amount of  well informed and robust debate about the role that GMOs may have in our futures.

As far as I can tell, at the moment any debate going on is neither well informed, nor robust: something I hope changes, and soon!

GM vines out in the open? In France??!?!?

The French Government has approved the establishment of a vineyard planted to genetically modified grapevines (http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/35781/).

GM vines have existed for many years, but always in contained areas. This move by the government is very significant, as everyone who has been working on GM vines has held off taking them to the next step in terms of evaluation, waiting for the French to move first, the idea being, if they do it they've got the best chance of selling it to the industry and public, opening to door to everyone else.

I'll be watching this one very closely!!