Exclusive: Britain must reconsider growing genetically modified crops to help increase food yields, lower prices and enhance security of supply, a senior UK Government minister has told The Herald.

Britain must reconsider growing genetically modified crops to help increase food yields, lower prices and enhance security of supply, a senior UK Government minister has told The Herald.

In a deeply controversial move that will place Westminster at odds with anti-GM Holyrood, the cabinet member made it clear, in the face of rising commodity prices, crop shortages caused by climate change and the increasing world population, Britain could simply no longer afford not to reconsider introducing GM crops .

"With the current problems, the first priority must be to increase food production; that means we must reopen the debate on GM. It's a global issue but each government has a duty to do what it can," said the minister, adding: "The green groups won't like it but we will have to take them on."

The subject could be raised at today's EU summit in Brussels, which will be dominated by the food and fuel crises. Gordon Brown will put forward a six-point plan to help combat rising food prices, which includes increasing investment in agricultural research.

No 10 sources made it clear the Prime Minister is willing to have the debate on GM crops reopened. His cabinet colleague's remarks come as UK inflation has hit 3.3% and is on course to top 4% later this year, a rise fuelled largely by soaring food prices. In the year to May, world agricultural prices rocketed 60%, with domestic food retail prices up 8%.

Last night, a spokesman for Alex Salmond, the First Minister, said the Scottish Government would be strongly opposed to the reconsideration of GM crops; it has a veto on them north of the border.

"We would be very concerned about that. Scotland has an international reputation second to none in terms of the quality of our environment and trust in the quality of our foodstuffs. These could be jeopardised by GM," he added.

However, there is support for a reconsideration of the technology in Britain. James Withers, chief executive of the National Farmers Union Scotland, said: "GM and whether it has a future in Scotland should be on the agenda. The world has turned on its head in 12 months.

"It would be negligent not to look at every opportunity to improve production and reduce costs. There is a danger that the world is moving on while we are stuck in time."

Bill McElvey, principal of the Scottish Agricultural College in Edinburgh, said: "It should be on the research agenda. It's up to society to decide which is the lesser of two evils: expensive food or GM crops?"

The GM food controversy erupted in 2003 when a mixture of public unease and hostility from green campaigners and political opponents meant the UK Government did not pursue the policy. At present, there are no GM crops grown commercially in Britain.