Friends of the Earth has welcomed a new survey published today which shows that public opposition to GM food and crops has grown since 2002. The mood contrasts sharply with UK Government views, with Ministers currently considering plans to allow widespread GM contamination of non-GM crops.

The survey, carried out by Which?, reveals that 61 per cent of people are concerned about the use of GM in food production (56 per cent in 2002) and 58 per cent try to avoid GM ingredients altogether (a 13 per cent increase) [1].

The UK Government is currently consulting on plans to allow significant levels of GM contamination of non-GM crops. The consultation on `coexistence' (between conventional and GM crops), is the latest stage in a process that would allow GM crops to be commercially grown in the UK. Despite consumer opposition to GM, the Government has refused to broaden the consultation to look at what measures (such as separation distances) would be needed to ensure that crops and food are kept completely GM free [2].

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

"Public opposition to GM food and crops is growing, yet the Government is planning to allow widespread GM contamination of non-GM crops. If this happens people will find it increasingly difficult to avoid GM food. The Government must listen to the public and introduce tough new rules to keep our food, farming and environment GM-free."

Note

[1] http://www.which.net

[2] The Government coexistence consultation aims to put in place measures to allow GM crops to "coexist" with conventional crops. The measures will be designed to allow GM contamination up to the level set out in the EU labelling threshold of 0.9 per cent. Friends of the Earth believes that much stricter measures should be put in place to protect farmer and consumer choice that aim to eliminate GM contamination to lowest detectable levels, currently agreed to be 0.1per cent.

DEFRA information on the consultation:
www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/040716a.htm
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/crops/index.htm#Coexistence