Jonathon Harrington
Jonathon Harrington is a biologist who hit the headlines in January 2009 when a Guardian article reported that he had planted GM maize on his Welsh farm, against the declared GM-free policy of the Welsh Assembly government.[1]
The article states:
- An unrepentant Harrington said he had resorted to the secret planting after the Welsh assembly, which voted unanimously for GM-free status in 2000, refused to have any meaningful discussions over its policy.[2]
Harrington is quoted as saying he wanted "to facilitate the introduction of a new and valuable technology [GM] into Welsh agriculture". He states of GM:
- It can of course be used for a variety of purposes: to give plants immunity from pest attack or resistance to disease or more recently the ability to withstand drought. There are a number of potential benefits the technology could offer Welsh farmers if the assembly government showed a more positive attitude towards it.[3]
But just how this GM maize is supposed to save Welsh agriculture given that even Harrington admitted it performed badly is unclear. He told The Guardian: "It was a poor summer, so they didn't do terribly well."[4]
Harrington is described in The Guardian as an agronomist and farmer.[5]
Harrington is a member of the biotech industry lobby group CropGen.[6]
Contents
Questions about Harrington
Questions arose among some of Harrington's neighbours in Wales as to whether he is a farmer at all, and if so, whether he actually planted the GM maize as he claimed. Western Mail journalist Steve Dube wrote in his blog:
- it appears that Mr Harrington himself may not be all he claims to be. He lives so high up a mountain that even conventional fodder maize (let alone a Mediterranean GM hybrid) would not produce a decent crop. And as he is also sadly disabled, he cannot have planted or harvested the crop himself.
It makes you wonder whether the whole episode was a con by Harrington and CropGen, in order to embarrass the Welsh Government. Has Mr Harrington actually grown GM plants at all? His neighbours think not.[7]
History
Current activities
Views
Affiliations
People
Funding
Clients
Publications, Contact, Resources and Notes
Publications
Contact
- Address:
- Phone:
- Email:
- Website:
Resources
Notes
- ↑ Caroline Davies, "Farmer's secret GM crop defies green rulebook", The Guardian, 25 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
- ↑ Caroline Davies, "Farmer's secret GM crop defies green rulebook", The Guardian, 25 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
- ↑ Jonathon Harrington, "Why I planted genetically modified maize on my Welsh farm", The Guardian, 28 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
- ↑ Caroline Davies, "Farmer's secret GM crop defies green rulebook", The Guardian, 25 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
- ↑ Jonathon Harrington, "Why I planted genetically modified maize on my Welsh farm", The Guardian, 28 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
- ↑ Jonathon Harrington, "Why I planted genetically modified maize on my Welsh farm", The Guardian, 28 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
- ↑ Steve Dube, "Farmer or faker?", UpCountry: An insider's view of Welsh rural life, 4 February 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
