Archived press release

Anti-gm scarecrows take to the streets

30 October 2004

This Saturday (30 October), scarecrows and anti-GM campaigners from all corners of the country will take to the streets to demand that their fields and food are kept GM free. The events are part of a national day of action involving 65 Friends of the Earth groups, and come as the Government looks set to allow widespread GM contamination of crops and food - of up to nine times the detection limit [1] - even though its consultation on the issue is yet to be launched.

Campaigners from Cornwall to Cumbria will be encouraging the public to sign "scarecrow post cards" to send to their local MPs challenging them to demand tough new laws preventing GM contamination of crops and food.

Whilst there are no GM crops currently being grown in the UK, the threat of GM planting remains. There are at least 10 applications awaiting approval to grow GM crops EU-wide. If given the go ahead, farmers would be allowed to grow them in the UK. The Government has started looking at what practical measures will be needed to allow GM crops to be grown, such as separation distances from conventional and organic crops. A public consultation is due to start imminently. [2]

However, despite a recent NOP World poll showing that nearly two thirds of the UK public support tough new laws to prevent GM contamination of their food and farming [3], the Government looks set to allow for widespread GM contamination of conventional crops and food.

Friends of the Earth's GM Campaigner, Clare Oxborrow said:

"Once again the Government looks set to ignore the wishes of the public and is planning to allow widespread GM contamination of our crops and food. This is totally unacceptable. That is why up and down the country scarecrows are joining campaigners and the public in challenging MPs to stand up to the Government for our right to choose GM free food."

Friends of the Earth believes that Britain should stay GM-free but says that if the Government makes the mistake of allowing GM crops to be grown, tough rules must be put in place that ensure no GM contamination of non-GM crops in neighbouring fields [4].

Notes

Friends of the Earth International is the largest grassroots environmental network in the world with more than one million members in 71 countries

[1] The Government is planning to consult on practical measures designed to allow up to 0.9 per cent GM contamination of non-GM crops. "Defra will consult on: a proposal that farmers growing GM crops should comply with a code of practice on co-existence which has statutory backing, with the aim of ensuring that unwanted GM presence in non-GM crops is within the 0.9% labelling threshold adopted by the EU. www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/040716a.htm. The current limit of detection for GM contamination is agreed to be 0.1 per cent.

[2] The Government announced plans for its consultation on GM `coexistence and liability' on 16<sup>th</sup> July 2004. It has held meetings with a limited number of `specific stakeholders' and is due to launch its public consultation before the end of the year. DEFRA press release: www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/040716a.htm

[3] The NOP World survey showed that 64 per cent of the public support new laws to prevent GM crops contaminating non-GM crops in neighbouring fields or during handling and processing. Only 17 per cent said that the possible benefits of GM outweigh the risks.

The NOP World survey for Friends of the Earth interviewed 2002 adults aged 15+ by telephone between 2-11 July. They were asked: "Genetically Modified (GM) crops may contaminate non GM crops in neighbouring fields, or during handling and processing, which could lead to GM contamination of food. Would you support laws that prevent contamination occurring, or do you think that contamination is worth the risk because of the benefits of genetic modification?" Weights were applied to the data to bring it in line with national profiles.

[4] Friends of the Earth believes that any `coexistence' regime must be designed to eliminate GM contamination to the lowest detectable level, 0.1 per cent, in order to protect consumer and farmer choice for GM free crops and food.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust