Lord Rooker, food and farming minister, has criticised anti-GM protestors for ignoring science, saying that opposition to GM crops was ‘a religion based on perception’.

Lord Rooker said: ‘I will not accept arguments that are just based on perception.

‘There is no evidence that anyone’s ever been damaged by GM food. On the other hand, a massive consumer benefit to GM technology hasn’t been proved yet.’

In June, environment minister Phil Woolas also spoke in favour of GM crops, and Country Life has included GM crops in its Manifesto 2008.

Lord Rooker, speaking at a Labour Party Conference fringe event in favour of GM crops, criticised anit-GM protestors, saying: ‘We need to allow experiments to take place to see what the benefits, if any, GM crops could bring.’

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