Guest guest Posted May 31, 2003 Report Share Posted May 31, 2003 Real Food News May 2003 GM-free success spreads Dorset County Council joined the growing list of local authorities expressing concern about the commercialisation of GM (see 24 April 2003), pledging to keep services such as school meals free of GM, and calling on the South West Regional Assembly to adopt a position on GM. Warwickshire County Council then passed a stronger GM-free motion with no opposition (see 20 May 2003) to keep the county free of GM crops and GM food. GM - like it or lump it! The Government's GM advisors, the AEBC, has warned that it would be difficult or impossible in some areas to guarantee GM-free food if GM crops are commercialised in the UK (see 28 April 2003). But the Government is urging UK MEPs to vote in favour of contamination of our food by voting for a one per cent contamination threshold in the upcoming EU labelling and traceability legislation (see 9 May 2003). It also emerged that the Government may allow GM to be grown in the UK regardless of public opinion and the public debate (see 19 May 2003). However, this could all become academic, as the USA intends to force GM down our throats no matter what anyone wants (see 13 May 2003). They have filed a complaint with the WTO about the current EU moratorium on GM, and if the WTO rules in their favour it could force the EU to accept GM food or face trade sanctions. You can take part in our online action to email the US Ambassador at: http://www/campaigns/global_trade/press_for_change/email_us_embassy/i ndex.html Curb supermarket power The Competition Commission listened to our views on why the Safeway takeover should not be permitted (see 30 April 2003), along with Sainsbury's, Tesco's, Asda's and Morrison's views on why they would be the best people to take it over. Allowing any of the supermarket bidders to take over Safeway would put three-quarters of grocery shopping in the hands of just four companies. Our views were backed up by a Liberal Democrat report, " Checking out the Supermarkets II " (see 8 May 2003) highlighting the lack of Government action addressing the problems associated with supermarket power. Don't forget you can take part in our online action to stop the Safeway takeover at: http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/real_food/press_for_change/mp/index.ht ml Thank you for your support and help on our campaigns, Liz Wright Friends of the Earth Real Food & Farming Campaign Assistant ________________________________ 20 May 2003 Warwickshire goes GM-free Warwickshire County Council voted to go GM-free, joining a growing protest against GM crops at local authority level across the country. The decision has been warmly welcomed by Friends of the Earth who launched a GM-Free Britain Campaign in October last year. In a full meeting, Warwickshire County Council expressed concern about the safety of GM crops and foods, and in addition to its ban on growing GM crops on council land, voted to keep services free of GM foods and to call on the Secretary of State to provide the county with legal protection as a GM-free area. The motion was passed without opposition. Calls for GM-free areas are growing. Cornwall, South Gloucestershire and South Hams District Council voted to go GM-free earlier this year. Devon County Council has stated its opposition to GM trials, and along with Dorset has called on the South West Regional Assembly to take a position on GM. GM-free votes has also taken place in a number of town and district councils. " Friends of the Earth is delighted that Warwickshire County Council has voted to go GM-free, " said Friends of the Earth GM Campaigner, Clare Oxborrow. " Around Britain there is growing opposition to GM crops and food. This decision sends a strong message to the Government that local people don't want their food, farms and environment threatened by GM crops. It is time now for the Government to listen and not allow GM crops to be commercially grown in the UK. " The Government is expected to decide later this year whether or not to allow GM crops to be commercially grown across the UK. Commercialisation risks widespread GM contamination of food, crops and the environment. Consumer opposition remains high with 56 per cent opposing GM foods in the latest poll, and a MORI survey published in October showed that 57 per cent do not want GM crops to be commercially grown across the UK. ________________________________ 19 May 2003 Government may ignore public opinion on GM crops Friends of the Earth reacted angrily to comments by Environment Minister Michael Meacher suggesting that the Government may allow GM crops to be grown commercially in the UK regardless of public opinion. The Government's public consultation on GM crops begins in June. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Farming today, Mr Meacher said that a ban on GM crops would be illegal unless there is scientific proof that they harm people or the environment. Last week the US made a formal complaint to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the EU's de-facto moratorium on issuing new GM licenses. Major issues such as the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops and liability for economic and environmental harm are still being hotly debated in Europe and the UK. " The public has made it perfectly clear that they do not want to eat GM food, " said Friends of the Earth's GM campaigner, Pete Riley. " Allowing GM crops to be commercially grown would threaten our food, farming and environment with GM pollution, and take away people's right to say no to GMOs (genetically modified organisms). There is genuine scientific uncertainty surrounding the potential impacts these crops have on people, the environment and the food chain. But this Government is so pro-GM it chooses to ignore them. " Next month, the Government is launching its public debate on GM crops. But if it is to have any credibility, ministers must guarantee beforehand that if the public say they don't want GM crops, the Government will not give them the commercial go-ahead. Without that guarantee, there seems little point in debating the issue. " ________________________________ 14 May 2003 GM trade war - who decides what we eat? Friends of the Earth urged the European Union to staunchly defend the public's right to exercise choice over GM food, following the announcement that the United States has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over Europe's de-facto moratorium. And if the UK Government does not strongly defend the European Union case, it will render the UK's own public debate on the future of the GM food meaningless. The process for dealing with WTO disputes is complex and slow but a consultation period will stretch over the summer, with Europe not due to make its first written submission until November, leaving the dispute hanging not only over the UK's public consultation, but also the WTO Ministerial in Cancun, Mexico, scheduled to take place in September. And the secretive nature of the WTO dispute resolution process will mean that public concerns will not be voiced and cannot even be considered. If the US is successful, the dispute panel ruling is binding and the EU will be forced to either alter its policy toward GM crops or face economic sanctions across a range of sectors. Friends of the Earth is concerned that the US action, almost certainly a result of pressure from the biotech industry, could remove the public's right to choose on GM food. " The Bush White House and American business interests should not have the right to make decisions about what people in Europe get to eat, " said Friends of the Earth Policy and Campaigns Director, Liana Stupples. " But the current WTO system means that this could be the case. The British Government and the European Union must act to defend our right to eat what we choose. " The British public do not want GM food and they have made this clear time and time again. The United States has become the bully in the world playground, forcing through the big business agenda at the expense of democracy and people power. This action against the EU could be just the first assault on consumer rights. " ________________________________ 13 May 2003 US files WTO GM complaint The United States administration has announced that it is bringing a case in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the European Union over genetically modified food. The US has been joined by Australia, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and Uruguay. The US will argue that the current EU moratorium on the commercial development of GM foods is an " illegal " trade barrier under WTO rules. But Friends of the Earth is warning the move is the latest in a series of attempts by the US to block other countries' decisions to protect their environment, human health and social standards. The move could bring the full force of WTO sanctions to bear in order to force GM food into European markets regardless of the wishes of European consumers. The US is likely to attempt to prevent any effective labelling of food derived from GM ingredients. US Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick has threatened a WTO case over GM on several occasions, most recently in January this year, but is believed to have been told by the White House to back off during attempts to secure European support for the invasion of Iraq. The US Administration has been lobbied heavily by GM companies such as Monsanto and by big US farming interests such as the National Corn Growers Association. WTO procedures are complex and secretive, and have been heavily criticised by environmentalists and others for their pro-business bias. In particular, WTO rules are hostile to the fundamental precautionary principle. " This looks like the moment of truth for the future of GM food in Europe, and future trade relations between the European Union and United States, " said Friends of the Earth Policy Director, Liana Stupples. " It is clear that this US Administration, backed by some of the richest and most powerful lobbyists in US politics, is determined to use the secretive, biased and undemocratic procedures of the WTO to bulldoze through attempts by other states to set minimum environmental, social and health standards. If this attempt succeeds, the US will force GM foods onto European markets regardless of the wishes of consumers. " The European Commission and national governments must find the courage to stand up to this outrageous piece of bullying. Decisions over the future of GM crops in Europe must not be made in the George Bush White House. Friends of the Earth will step up its GM campaign to fight this outrageous challenge to Europe's right to say no to GMOs. " ________________________________ 9 May 2003 Government urges MEPs to vote for GM food The Government is asking UK Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to vote in favour of the GM contamination of our food and against the widespread labelling of food containing traces of GM materials, Friends of the Earth revealed. The advice comes ahead of the Government's 'public debate' on GM foods. MEPs are voting on new European legislation to strengthen the labelling of food containing GM-derived ingredients. Currently food containing at least one per cent of GM DNA must be labelled. The new proposals would strengthen the legislation by: - Reducing the GM labelling threshold. MEPs backed a 0.5 per cent labelling threshold at the first reading last year, but the Council of Ministers increased it to 0.9 per cent. MEPs can still vote for the 0.5 per cent threshold, though Friends of the Earth has been calling for the limit to be set at the lowest detectable level (currently 0.1 per cent). - Increasing the scope of the legislation to include GM derivatives, which don't contain DNA, such as oil and lecithin. This would be achieved through a comprehensive 'traceability' regime. - Extending it to cover animal feed. However, the Government is urging MEPs to weaken the proposals by voting to maintain the current GM threshold of one per cent. The recommendation is contained in a briefing to MEPs from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The briefing claims thresholds below one per cent are unenforceable. But the Government's own Central Science Laboratory has confirmed that a limit of detection of 0.1 per cent is verifiable. The briefing comes hot on the heels of the FSA's own Citizen's Jury, held in Slough in early April, the 15 jurors unanimously recommended comprehensive labelling of any food containing GM ingredients or derived from GM crops including " a GM logo " . EU citizens strongly support comprehensive labelling, with the latest polls indicating that 94 per cent back strong EU legislation to maintain choice for consumers. " Consumers have made it perfectly clear that they want comprehensive GM labelling so that they can avoid food containing GM ingredients, " said Friends of the Earth's GM Campaigner, Pete Riley. " But once again the UK Government is ignoring public concern on this issue. It is urging MEPs to weaken new European legislation on GM food labels, and reduce the ability of consumers to choose what they eat. So much for the openness of the Government's GM public debate, to be launched next month. The role of the Food Standards Agency must also be questioned. It claims to be listening to consumer concerns, but when it comes to GM labelling, it seem to represent the biotech industry. The major supermarkets are already working to a 0.1 per cent threshold. " ________________________________ 8 May 2003 Government failing to regulate supermarkets, says new report Friends of the Earth welcomed the publication of Checking out the supermarkets II, a report by Liberal Democrat MP Colin Breed into the practices and problems of supermarket retailing. Friends of the Earth said that it highlighted the lack of Government action to address the problems associated with the dominance of the big supermarket chains. The report, which comes as the Competition Commission grapples with the pros and cons of allowing Safeway to be taken over by a rival supermarket, describes the range of problems already associated with the concentration of power in this sector. It also shows how supermarkets have been allowed to grow at the expense of the public interest, undermining local economies, eroding consumer choice and creating problems for people with no access to a car. The plight of UK farmers struggling to make a living against the unreasonable demands of the supermarkets is also stressed. One policy area which comes under particular criticism in the report is the planning system. Although Planning Policy Guidance (PPG6) was revised in 1996, with the specific objective of protecting town centres, Breed's report points out that the destruction of local economies has continued apace. The call for an overhaul of planning guidance to deal with the dominance of the big chains and their incursion into every aspect of retailing is again very well timed, with PPG6 currently up for revision and a new Planning Bill progressing through Parliament. Speaking at the report's launch, Friends of the Earth Real Food Campaigner, Sandra Bell described how Asda/Wal-Mart is making a mockery of planning guidance by exploiting a loophole in the planning system. By installing mezzanine floors in existing Asda stores for non-food goods, the company does not even have to submit a planning application to the local authority. This leaves the local authority powerless to assess the impact of the expansion on local shops or traffic levels, and local communities with no say in the development. " This report is very timely, " said Sandra Bell. " The Government is currently grappling with the pros and cons of a Safeway takeover and the updating of our planning system. Politicians must sit up and take notice of this litany of negative impacts from the rise of the big supermarkets. If supermarkets are so beneficial, why have we ended up with more food poverty, struggling local economies, farmers leaving the land, and less choice of where to shop? 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