Action Briefing Feb 2004-Mar 2004
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

West Midlands News

GM-free West Midlands

Everyone should have the right to grow GM-free if they want to. The GM-free Land Register for Coventry and Warwickshire (which now has over 500 GM-free land declarations including farmers, allotments holders and gardeners) has made this point on several occasions to date. We used it in the 'GMNation?' public debate last summer and also as part of the successful campaign to make Warwickshire County Council declare itself GM- free.

Coventry Friends of the Earth hope it will have the same effect on Friday 6th February when we will present it, laid out on a giant map of the county, to Cllr Phil Townshend of Coventry City Council. in the hope that he will follow in Warwickshire’s footsteps and move forward the long promised GM-free Motion for Coventry.

New scientific studies show that GM pollen can travel up to 16 miles, and also that it takes 16 years for land where GM crops have been grown to return to a level of contamination below 1%. By this count, to retain the right of our GM-free land register to stay GM- free, GM crops should not be planted throughout the whole of Warwickshire and a 16-mile radius beyond (although I’d extend it to the rest of the world, just to be on the safe side).

Jenny Sansom Coventry Friends of the Earth

Meanwhile, at the regional level, Keith Hatch is expanding the GM-free South West into the West Midlands.

Keith writes: "It was decided at the end of last year to expand the area that I cover to include the South East and the West Midlands. I have been in contact with Chris Crean and we have decided that the best way forward is for me to organise a couple of strategy meetings for local groups. This worked well in the South West and I’m sure it will in the West Midlands. These meetings will aim to assess what stage your campaign has reached with the local authority and look at the best way of moving it forward."

"The dates for the meetings are Saturday 20th March and Saturday 24th April. The first meeting will be in at The Warehouse, Allison Street, Digbeth, and is primarily aimed at West Midland Unitaries and Staffordshire while the later meeting is at the Friends Meeting House, Worcester, and is for groups in Herefordshire and Worcestershire."

"Warwickshire and Shropshire have passed GM-free resolutions already and it would be great if someone from the local groups involved could come along and share their experiences."

If you are interested in attending either of these meeting please call Keith on 01308 428315 or email keith-hatch@lineone.net

Chris Crean