Biotech Scientists Angered Over Prince Charles' GMO Protests

"Leading Norfolk scientists last night hit back at the Prince of Wales for his attack against genetically-modified crops, branding his outburst “shocking and ill-informed”.

And experts at the John Innes Centre in Colney, Norwich, now want the prince to visit their laboratories so they can answer his questions and address his concerns.

Prof Alison Smith, research group leader at the centre, who was made an OBE for her services to plant biochemistry, accused Prince Charles of abusing his role and said he should have used it to launch a debate into the issue instead of making “unhelpful” remarks.

She said: “I was really quite shocked and saddened by what the prince had to say. It was really rather ill-informed and very negative.

“And I'm saddened that the Prince of Wales, who is in a leadership role and able to solve some of the problems he identifies - by bringing scientists, technicians and agricultural and climate change experts together - instead tried to blame the problems of the planet on a technology he clearly does not understand.

“He has a lot of understandable concerns about the way the planet is going but it would be good to see him looking broadly and objectively at how those concerns can be addressed and leading a constructive debate rather than dismiss something out of hand that we need to keep the door open on.”

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