Food safety
1 September 2003

In the race to cut production costs in UK farming, important food and environmental safety concerns are being forgotten.

Genetic modification - GM

Genetic engineering is imprecise and unpredictable. But most testing is carried out by the very biotech companies that have the most to gain from results that say GM food is safe.

Growing GM crops also threatens wildlife and the production of GM free foods. What's more some GM crops could allow more pesticides to be used.

The irony is that we don't need GM food. The biotech industry says it will feed the world's poor - but leading third world charities - like Christian Aid - dismiss their claims.

Pesticides

Did you know?Image of an apple covered in pesticides

About half of all UK fruit and vegetables contain pesticide residues

Data from Pesticides Residues Committee 1998 to 2001


Most fruit and vegetables for sale in our shops and supermarkets are grown using pesticides - chemicals that kill pests like insects and weeds.

Some pesticides may be used just to make sure our fruit and vegetables look cosmetically perfect on supermarket shelves.

But their widespread usage is causing health problems:

  • Pesticide residues in food
    Some of these can bio-accumulate in our bodies or harm our hormone systems.
  • Pollution of drinking water
    Removing pesticides costs us £120m a year.

Friends of the Earth says

  • Stop GM crops being grown in the UK.
  • Remove pesticide residues from our food by finding safer ways of protecting crops and phasing out risky chemicals

Unfair trade >

Image of alphabet spaghetti spelling out 'genetically modified'

© Tom Luddington / Friends of the Earth

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