Dear Minister

I am writing to respond to the Consultation on the Welsh Assembly Government's proposal on GM coexistence measures. I welcome the proposal, and believe it is crucial to have a clear and transparent system that sets duties on the growers and handlers of GM crops. There should be statutory liability on the industry for damage caused to the environment or to farmers' livelihoods. I strongly support the proposal to establish an all-Wales voluntary GM-free zone, and believe it is the best way to protect against the risk of contamination by GM crops. This is essential to sustain and develop Wales' reputation for high quality food products. However, I am concerned that the proposal is based on keeping contamination below 0.9%. The co-existence measures should aim to eliminate any GM contamination, whether in organic or conventional crops. I urge you to amend this proposal to set this threshold at the lowest possible detectable level. In order to include all food producers in Wales, honey producers, gardeners and allotment holders should also be included in the co-existence regime. I urge the Welsh Assembly Government to continue to take the most restrictive measures possible over GM crops in Wales, in order to protect the environment and enable Welsh farmers to supply the GM-free food that consumers want.

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