Sir, - So Duff Burrell, chairman of the National Beef Association, is calling on the EU to drop its opposition to GM crops because "modern technology is essential for farmers to grow more food crops on the increasingly limited area of available land."

Well he would, wouldn't he, because if he faced the facts, he'd be out of a job. The most important and most obvious fact is that there is enough land worldwide to grow crops to feed the entire population twice over, but currently most of it is used for growing food to feed livestock.

PATRICIA TRICKER Arrathorne, Bedale