Jonathon Harrington

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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 Wales.[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]

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  1. Caroline Davies, "Farmer's secret GM crop defies green rulebook", The Guardian, 25 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
  2. Caroline Davies, "Farmer's secret GM crop defies green rulebook", The Guardian, 25 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
  3. Jonathon Harrington, "Why I planted genetically modified maize on my Welsh farm", The Guardian, 28 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
  4. Caroline Davies, "Farmer's secret GM crop defies green rulebook", The Guardian, 25 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
  5. Jonathon Harrington, "Why I planted genetically modified maize on my Welsh farm", The Guardian, 28 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009
  6. Jonathon Harrington, "Why I planted genetically modified maize on my Welsh farm", The Guardian, 28 January 2009, accessed 27 April 2009