Press Release

Become a Golden Supporter

For Immediate Release: Friday, 29th October 2004

Photo Opportunity: Saturday 30th October 2004, 11.30am, High Street, Birmingham City Centre. Birmingham Friends of the Earth campaigners and four life-size anti-GM scarecrows petition the public in the city centre.

Scarecrows make stand against GM contamination

Anti-GM scarecrows will leave their fields and take to the streets of Birmingham this Saturday when environmental campaigners across the country will call on the Government not to allow the country’s farms and food to be contaminated by genetically modified (GM) crops. Birmingham Friends of the Earth will be inviting members of the public to tell their MPs they don't want any GM contamination.

There are currently no GM crops being grown in the UK but that could soon change. At least ten applications to grow GM crops are currently awaiting approval from the EU for commercial planting. Meanwhile, the UK Government, seemingly hell-bent bringing GM crops to Britain, has started to look at the practical ‘coexistence’ measures that would be needed to limit GM contamination of non-GM crops and food.[1]

GM crops may contaminate non-GM crops in neighbouring fields, or during handling and processing, leading to GM contamination of food. Friends of the Earth opposes the commercial growing of GM crops but believes that if Gm crops are to be grown any 'coexistence' regime must be able to eliminate GM contamination to the lowest detectable level (0.1 per cent).[2]

Birmingham Friends of the Earth campaigner Dr Andy Pryke said:

"If the Government can choose to ignore public opinion, as well as its own economic and scientific advisors,[3] and allow GM crops to be grown here, then we should at least be able to choose GM-free food and know that effective means are in place to minimise the spread of GM contamination. Farmers and consumers deserve a guarantee that organic and conventional crops and foods are what they say they are and have not been adulterated by GM organisms or their derivatives."

Editor's Notes

[1] The Government announced plans for its consultation on GM 'coexistence and liability' on Friday 16th July 2004. The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is planning to hold meetings with a limited number of 'specific stakeholders' over the summer and consult more widely from the autumn. DEFRA press release www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/040716a.htm

[2] 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".

[3] Last year the Government held a national debate on GM issues called GM Nation? The debate consisted of three elements: a science review, economic assessment and the debate itself. All three strands highlight reasons why GM crops should not be given commercial approval.

Economics: A report by the Government's Strategy Unit on the 11th July, concluded that public 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.

Science: The science review, led by Professor Sir David King (the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser), and published on 21st July, raised serious questions about significant gaps in our scientific knowledge on the potential impacts GM food and crops on our health and the environment.

GM Nation and public opinion: More than half (54%) said they never want to see GM crops grown in the UK. A further 18% would find GM crops acceptable only if there was no risk of cross-contamination, and 13% wanted more research before any decision was made. A mere two per cent said that GM crops were acceptable "in any circumstances" and only eight per cent were happy to eat GM food (86% were not).