GM firms seeking crop trial secrecy

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They are concerned about the cost of the damage likely to be caused by anti-GM activists if the precise locations of fields hosting experiments continue to be made public.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was concerned by the threat to "legitimate research" and was considering options to reduce the risk of GM crops being vandalised.

Under European law the location of GM crops must be published, but biotech firms want Defra to hold the information on a restricted register or release less specific details, the Guardian newspaper reported.

Julian Little, of GM industry group the Agricultural Biotechnology Council, told the paper: "We've been very clear to Government.

"We have to find a way of reducing the amount of damage you get when you do a field trial in the UK, that's absolutely imperative.

"Our view is we need greater security, or we need to reduce the visibility of the trials."

A Defra spokeswoman said: "We are considering options that would reduce the risk of crops being vandalised. However, at present there are no specific plans to change Government policy in this area."

A report published this week showed the global use of GM crops increased by 12% last year to reach 114 million hectares across 23 countries.