Action Briefing Aug 2003 - Sept 2003
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

The Diary of a Public Debate

Amidst accusations of spin and cover-up, the Government’s public debate on the future of GM crops in this country lasted a mere 46 days. Here is a brief diary of what happened in the weeks Britain decided whether or not to become a ‘GM Nation.’

JUNE 3rd Friends of the Earth arrives at Birmingham’s NEC for the launch “GM Nation? The Public Debate”. The format of the two-hour event is not revealed to participants until the last minute. Turnout estimated at around 200 with a largely anti-GM mood. The event coincides with Birmingham City Council’s Full Council Meeting, so no councillors can attend.

JUNE 13th The Harrogate debate, Pavilions, Yorkshire Showground. It is the last of the six official GM Nation debates.

JUNE 25th A cross-party coalition of MPs led by sacked Environment Minister Michael Meacher moves to extend the GM Nation public debate past its closing date of 18th July until more research evidence is available.

JUNE 30th During a public debate on the future of British farming at the Royal Agricultural Show in Stoneleigh, Secretary of State for the Environment Margaret Beckett declares her support for GM.

JULY 2nd The European Parliament in Strasbourg votes in favour of allowing member states to impose firm restrictions on GM crops in order to protect organic and conventional crops. MEPs also vote for tougher labelling of GM food and traceability of crops. GM animal feed will now have to be labelled for the first time.

EU research has consistently stated that contamination will be widespread if commercial growing of GM crops increased. But until now member states have been virtually powerless to take preventative action. Although the new legislation is an important step in the right direction Friends of the Earth is nevertheless concerned that the 0.9% threshold for GM contamination is too high. Current testing techniques can reliably detect GM as low as 0.1%. Further, the contamination of food and crops by unlicensed GM material will be allowed for 3 years. Member states may, rather than shall, take action to prevent contamination of neighbouring farms.

JULY 10th Friends of the Earth publish maps which, using national botanical data, reveal that allowing GM oil seed rape to be commercially grown anywhere in the UK will almost certainly lead to GM contamination. The maps show that five of the most closely related wild plant relatives to oil seed rape (such as wild turnip and wild cabbage), which are known to cross pollinate with the arable crop, are widespread across the UK.

JULY 11th The Government report on the economics of GM crops is published and concludes that the public’s refusal to eat GM food means that there is little economic value in the current generation of GM crops, and that continuing public opposition would also affect their long-term future.

Little short-term economic benefit is expected as only a narrow range of current GM crops are suited to UK conditions, and weak consumer demand is likely to limit take-up. As UK farmers do not operate in a fully competitive market, their future profitability depends more on national and EU policy decisions rather than smaller-scale cost savings arising from the use of GM crops. Non-GM farms using farm-saved seed risk the accumulation of GM presence in seeds over the years, increasing the market power that seed companies hold over farmer.

JULY 12th Birmingham Friends of the Earth (complete with GM Reaper and coffin - see front page) attends Moseley Neighbourhood Forum’s public drop-in meeting at Moseley Community Development Trust, The Post Office Building, Moseley. Pro-GM farmer Jonathan Harrington and Selly Oak MP Lynne Jones try to convince local residents of the benefits of GM technology.

JULY 15th Coventry Council Chamber hosts a GM debate organised by Coventry Friends of the Earth. Professor Phil Mullineaux of the John Innes Institute puts up a defence of GM while Dr. Mae-Wan Ho of the Institute of Science in Society presents the argument against. Those attending vote 41-3 against the motion “Should genetically manipulated food crops be commercialized in the UK?”

JULY 18th Shropshire County Council votes 53-2 to go GM-free. Measures voted through include applying to prevent GM crops from being grown in Shropshire using a European law, and steps to prevent GM crops on council-controlled land. The Council’s own survey revealed a massive 94% of people were against commercially growing GM crops. The GM Nation public debate officially closes. It will report in September 2003.

JULY 21st The Government-sponsored Review of the science of GM crops fails to give them the all clear, instead highlighting the uncertainties and the significant gaps in scientific knowledge regarding the long-term impacts on the farming system and the wider environment. The Review also fails to consider the alternative ways to improve food and farming which are already available or being developed.

JULY 22nd The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) becomes the first National Park to vote to go GM-free.

JULY 23rd The European Commission’s recommends that GM contamination of organic crops should be allowed and that GM labelling rules should apply to “conventional and organic farming alike". Environmental NGOs urge member states not to allow this to happen. But the Commission gives a boost to Friends of the Earth’s GM-free Britain campaign by recommending that “measures of a regional dimension could be considered “ to prevent GM contamination, opening the door to regional bans on GM crops.

James Botham, from Friends of the Earth press releases June-July 2003