Natural Resources

Ask supermarkets to stay GM free
2 June 2010

ASDA is planning to go back on their efforts to use GM-free animal feed in their poultry meat and eggs.

> Take action

Dangerous move towards GM

This is a major step backwards in the fight to keep our food and feed GM free.

And the big risk is that other supermarkets will follow suit.

Only a massive consumer backlash will stop retailers weakening further on GM products.

> Write to supermarkets today

Broken Promise

ASDA look set to accept GM feed for their poultry meat and eggs.

Instead of keeping food and feed GM free they - and other supermarkets - are signing up to the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS).

Greenwash

The RTRS is a scheme that certifies soy for animal feed as sustainable. But the scheme is extremely weak.

Plantations in South America growing soy for UK factory farms cause massive deforestation and displacement of communities.

The RTRS does nothing to prevent this.

Even worse, it labels GM soy as 'sustainable'.

Supermarkets must not hide behind the RTRS - a scheme that greenwashes factory farming and large-scale soy plantations.

> Demand GM free food and feed

GM animal feed - loophole in EU rules

Currently no GM crops are grown in the European Union for human consumption.

But GM animal feed provides back-door entry for GM products into the EU.

Worse still the current rules say meat and dairy products from animals fed on GM animal feed do not need to be labelled as GM.

People power

Previous pressure from consumers has made supermarkets take some steps to source GM-free animal feed.

And until now poultry meat and eggs were holding firm against the tide of GM animal feed.

This is now under threat.

Take action

Booths, a supermarket doing it better

Booths, a chain of supermarkets in the North of England has a great example of better meat farming. Its traditional breed National Trust beef is grazed on National Trust farms. All livestock and farms must be either organic or freedom foods or RSPCA-certified. This means they won't be fed any GM animal feed and the cows spend most of their year outdoors. And it supports regional produce, reducing food miles. This shows it's possible to produce meat that doesn't destroy the planet.

Demand more from your supermarket

It shouldn't get harder to avoid GM fed meat.

  • Ask ASDA
    to guarantee GM free meat and to resign their membership of the RTRS. And urge it to reduce soy in its meat and dairy supply chain.
  • Ask Morrisons
    to guarantee GM free meat and to resign from the RTRS. And urge it to reduce soy in its meat and dairy supply chain.
  • Ask Marks and Spencer
    to resign from the RTRS. And urge it to reduce soy in its meat and dairy supply chain.
  • Ask Waitrose
    to resign from the RTRS. And urge it to reduce soy in its meat and dairy supply chain.
  • Congratulate Tesco
    on not joining the RTRS. Ask it for a pledge to never join. And urge it to reduce soy in its meat and dairy supply chain.
Supermarket eggs

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