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- GM trials are a farce
- 2000
- Advanta admits separation distances in UK far closer than Canada
- Advanta to pay up
- Britain's babies back baby food ban
- Buy it from farmers' markets
- Buy your festive feast from local farmers
- Cadbury's admits its chocolate contains lindane
- Call for new biotech commission to halt spread of GM seeds
- Children get raw deal from Government
- Euro MPs fail GM Test
- Farm scale trials must be called off
- First UK organic beer festival held in Birmingham
- FOE responds to Prince Philip's confidence about GM foods
- Food Standards Agency could do better
- GM farm scale trial is useless
- GM farm scale trials threaten UK honey
- GM farmers pull out of trials
- GM scientist deserves sack says Friends of the Earth
- GM trials are a farce
- Government gambling with countryside
- Government in chaos over GM seeds
- Government in shambles over GM mistake
- Government prepares to decide commercial approval for GM crops before trial ends
- Government proposes to trash GM trials
- Hormone disrupting chemicals found in baby food
- Iceland to stock organic food at non-organic prices
- Illegal GM ingredients found in supermarkets
- Lindane is banned - nearly
- More GM crops set for Wales
- MPs debate new law on GM liability
- New fears over impact of GM crops on birdlife
- Public wants pesticides banned from supermarket food
- Scientists slam GM research
- Supermarket Real Food sham
- Top insurer says no to GM pollution cover
- Wales can ban GM
- Welsh agriculture secretary bottles out of Assembly decision on GM
- Aventis criticised by Government barrister
- Baby Blair greeted with hamper of Real Food
- Biosafety Protocol Agreed
- Biotech giant clams up at GM Seed List Hearing
- Call for pesticide tax
- Church advisers say no to GM crop trials
- Diners still worry about GM food
- FOE slams Krebs over organic food
- GM contamination inevitable admits Meacher
- GM food scare hits US taco lovers
- GM seed fiasco means farmers start to dig up crops
- GM-free diet for Iceland livestock
- Government GM policy in tatters
- Government set to give go-ahead to commercial licensing
- Hold on the milk says top scientist
- Kiss of death for GM seed
- Pesticides level rise in fruit AND veg
- Promising green speech from Blair?
- Shock admission that GM crops are already growing in the UK
- Supermarkets back organic farming bill
GM trials are a farce3 August 2000
Friends of the Earth has slammed the Government's latest announcement on the GM trials programme as "environmentally risky, scientifically worthless and politically stupid" after the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions announced the 25 locations which will be sown with GM oilseed rape this autumn. The crop will be sprayed with herbicide which is normally banned in the winter.
Strong words, but public concern about the GM trials programme has grown as yet more evidence emerges that GM pollen will spread and contaminate other crops despite industry assurances. Investigations into the Advanta imports of contaminated oilseed found that GM oilseed rape could pollinate conventional rape 4 km away, yet trials of crops will continue to be allowed in the UK with separation distances of 200 m or even less. The Department of Environment has promised to consult the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment on separation distances. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture has decided to consult the biotech industry's own organisation SCIMAC for advice.
"The Government continues to gamble with the future of the British countryside, allowing companies to produce crops for which there isn't a market. Genetic pollution is now threatening our environment and the livelihoods of neighbouring farmers," said Friends of the Earth Real Food Campaigner, Adrian Bebb. "The public have shown they don't want these crops. But the Government is determined to stage yet another episode in this long-running farce. The trials programme is environmental risky, scientifically worthless and politically stupid."
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