Keep Wales GM free!

Campaign launched by Farmers' Union of Wales, Friends of the Earth Cymru, GM Free Cymru and National Federation of Women's Institutes - Wales.

Reception and photocall in Assembly building - 1pm, Tuesday 19 November

On Tuesday 19 November, four organisations will hold a reception in the National Assembly calling on Assembly Members to take action to keep genetically modified (GM) crops out of the Welsh countryside. GM crops have not been planted in Wales in 2002.

The Farmers' Union of Wales, Friends of the Earth Cymru, GM Free Cymru and the National Federation of Women's Institutes - Wales will launch a five point plan (1) detailing actions the Assembly should take over the next six months.

The groups say that the Assembly should:

1. Refuse to support commercialisation of the GM maize Chardon LL
2. Pass tough legislation controlling GM crop releases in Wales
3. Apply for an exemption from future European GM crop approvals
4. Protect our rights to a public hearing before GM commercialisation
5. Obtain its own independent scientific advice on GM issues

This document, together with hampers of GM Free Welsh produce will be presented to:

• Mike German AM (Lib Dem), Assembly Agriculture Minister,
• Sue Essex AM (Labour), Assembly Environment Minister,
• Glyn Davies AM (Conservative), Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee
• Rhodri Glyn Thomas, Plaid Cymru Agriculture Spokesman.

The reception, hosted by Richard Edwards, AM for Preseli Pembrokeshire, runs from 12.30 - 2 pm in the Milling Area of the National Assembly building in Cardiff Bay. GM Free Food and drink will be available.

Tom Latter, an organic farmer in Pembrokeshire and member of GM Free Cymru, commented:

"I have farmed in North Pembrokeshire since 1971, and organically since 1990.

"After the abortive Farm Scale Trial of GM maize in Pembrokeshire in 2001, I was alarmed to discover that there is heated debate in the scientific community about the safety and stability of GM crops, and the adequacy of testing procedures. There is also growing concern amongst farmers in North America on many aspects of GM commercialisation.

"There is every reason to believe that GM crops represent a blatant attempt by the biotech industry to control world food production, locking producers into production systems by creating a dependence on chemical inputs and patented genes.

"The government has no mandate from the people to introduce GM crops which
are certainly not living up to expectations in North America, and threaten to set farmer against farmer.

"We urge Assembly Members to recognise this technology as outdated, inadequately researched and particularly undesirable within the context of Welsh agriculture. It is very likely that GM crops would have an extremely negative impact on consumer perception of Welsh food, even if grown on a very limited scale.

"Wales has significant scope to interpret EU legislation, as we see in many areas of agricultural policy, and now has the opportunity to take a lead in the UK to prevent the introduction of an unnecessary and potentially dangerous technology."

Julian Rosser, Head of Campaigns at Friends of the Earth Cymru added:

"We are sending a very clear message to Assembly Members - the people of Wales do not want GM crops.

"The Assembly has a range of powers to prevent GM crops from being planted in Wales. It can also exercise influence within the UK and Europe to ensure that the rules are as tough as possible.

"Our plan lays out the five things which the Assembly must do over the next six months to make real its rhetoric against GM crops. Some Assembly Members don't want to use the powers they have against opposition from Whitehall.

"This event will remind them that they work for us, the people of Wales, and that we will judge their performance on this issue at the Assembly elections next May."

The event is also supported by: Merched Y Wawr, The Organic Strategy Group, The Soil Association, Welsh Beekeepers Association, Welsh Black Cattle Society, The West Wales Ecocentre and Y Urdd.

Notes

1. National Assembly for Wales and GM crops: Five steps the Assembly must take to keep Wales GM Free