Action Briefing Dec 2003 - Jan 2004
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

Stand Your Ground

If approval is given for the commercial growing of genetically modified (GM) crops in the UK, it could mean organic and conventional farmers are driven out of business, leaving consumers with no choice but to eat GM foods.

Friends of the Earth's ‘Tractors and Trolleys against GM’ rally in London on October 13th was therefore highly significant as it was the first time that farmers and consumers had come together in the UK as a united front against GM. It was also possibly the most enjoyable Friends of the Earth event I’ve ever been to.

On 11th October, following a public meeting in Coventry, at which Genewatch's Sue Mayer gave a warmly-received presentation, two tractors set off for London: one with Mick Davies of Stratford Friends of the Earth at the helm and towing a brilliant float designed and made by Coventry Friends of the Earth, the other driven by organic farmer Gerald Miles.

Gerald converted his three hundred acres of land near St. Davids in Pembrokeshire to organic production seven years ago, having farmed conventionally for thirty six years. Two years ago Gerald learned of his proximity to a proposed T25 GM maize trial site, contamination from which could have cost him £50,000 along with his organic status, had not a concerted local campaign persuaded the landowner to withdraw from the trial.

Our first stop was the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA) at Ryton Organic Gardens where we celebrated with champagne, before finding a campsite in the grounds of a hideous Country Club near Silverstone. Chris Crean, Becky Turner (Rugby Friends of the Earth/HDRA) and I cycled to London on the Saturday evening in perfect cycling weather; glorious autumn sunshine and just cold enough to be refreshing.

By this stage Mick had broken down just outside the village in the dark with no means of communication. But we managed to track him down and some practical-minded people fixed the electrics while the rest of us went to . . . the pub! Eventually, they fixed the tractor and managed to join us for a good meal and some more beers. A highlight for me has to be the looks on the faces of the pub diners when they glanced up from their steaks to see the arrival of an enormous carnival float with an enormous bee, a pink pantomime cow and some eight foot flowers. Another highlight: gatecrashing a Country Club function full of people in evening wear and an Abba tribute band. And we still got in again for a full breakfast the next morning!

After a cold starry night’s sleep we continued to Milton Keynes where the local press took some photos of us with the famous Concrete Cows. Getting lost in MK was perhaps best forgotten, as was the journey along a very busy A5, against a headwind, having had no breakfast and trying to meet an impossible deadline! However, Chris's dried figs were an excellent quick energy source and we just made it for the parade, meeting up with other “GM pilgrims”, including one bloke who’d towed a coffin by bicycle from Scotland.

Next morning the parade was immensely well attended, a thousand people or more, and just the best atmosphere. There was a samba band, all the cyclist pilgrims, people with trolleys full of local produce, people with Green Gloves (pledged to support or participate in crop pulling if GM gets the go ahead), five tractors, and Coventry’s float leading the procession.

We called at the National Farmers' Union, 10 Downing Street and DEFRA, offering local produce and the message “Don’t let this be the last GM-free harvest”. You can imagine the limp receptions we received But the public’s proved very enthusiastic, everyone asking for leaflets and cheering us on. The event finished with a harvest tea, and speeches in the Emmanuel Hall, and even this bit was not an anticlimax. The speakers, including Gerald, Indian writer and activist Vandana Shiva, former Environment Minister and GM whistle-blower Michael Meacher, and Friends of the Earth Director Tony Juniper, were all really inspiring.

Aside from the excellent turnout, there were two things that made the event really fantastic. First, the sense that, with public opinion, the farm-scale trials and even the government's own scientific and economic advisors going against GM, we might actually win the battle against GM crops in the UKand that this victory would secure a significant anti-”Free” Trade precedent.

Secondly, instead of being a Friends of the Earth event, Tractors and Trolleys brought together a real mixture of farmers, campaigners, the public, NGOs and direct activists. Tony Juniper got an enormous cheer for praising the crop pullers, as did Michael Meacher for speaking out against the government. Vandana Shiva said the anti-GM movement about retaining our freedom to control the most basic needs of our lives. As Gerald said (in Welsh) "stand your ground!"

Later, in the pub, we learned that Dudley Council had that very day voted to implement a strict GM-free policy for all Council owned land and catering services. Chris and I kept putting back our departure time train by train until it was nearly too late but finally Chris drunkenly navi-guessed us back to Marylebone station with minutes to spare.

Karen Leach