UK GM site locations
Friends of the Earth | 04.02.2002 13:49 | Bio-technology | Ecology
Last week the Government announced the locations of it's latest round of genetically modified(GM) crop Farm Scale Trials (FSTs)
URL below has full list of trials including Grid references.
31 Jan 2002
The Government has failed to increase the separation distances around the latest round of GM crop trials - announced earlier today - despite an admission by Environment Minister, Margaret Beckett that the current distances may not prevent neighbouring crops from significant levels of GM pollution [1]. FOE believes that the separation distances for GM oil seed rape trials should be at least 5km. The separation distance between GM oil seed rape and conventional varieties is currently 50 metres. Friends of the Earth has described today's announcement as reckless.
Pete Riley, GM campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
"The separation distance around these GM crop trials are pathetic. If they go ahead neighbouring and organic crops within a 5 kilometres radius will be at risk from GM contamination. The Government knows the separation distances are inadequate but has recklessly failed to act.
Earlier today Food Standard's Agency revealed that 15 per cent of bakery products were contaminated with GM soya. These trials may lead to similar contamination incidents in the food chain and deny the public its right to say no to GMOs"
Last September the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission published a report which was critical of the FSEs. One of its recommendations was that "the programme of FSEs should be completed subject to...the Government working with SCIMAC and representatives of the organic farming industry to set adequate separation distances for the remaining trials to ensure that the interests of all parties are accommodated." Earlier this month Environment Minister, Margaret Beckett, responded that "the separation distances for the FSEs have been set to ensure that cross-pollination is a maximum of 1%. However...there is a case for separation distances to be greater so as to ensure a maximum of, for example, 0.1% cross-pollination". To achieve this FOE estimates that separation distances should be at least 5 km. Last year the European Commission said that a 5km separation distance would be needed to ensure that oilseed rape seed production achieved a contamination threshold of 0.3%.
Earlier today the FSA revealed that 15 % of bakery products surveyed contained GM ingredients - none of them were labelled. Three samples were found to contain more than 1% GM Soya Such products are required to be labelled as containing GM under EC regulation. It is not known how the products came to be contaminated with GM material as most European food manufacturers now avoid GM ingredients in response to overwhelming consumer rejection of the new technology.
1.
http://www.aebc.gov.uk/aebc/response_crops.html
31 Jan 2002
The Government has failed to increase the separation distances around the latest round of GM crop trials - announced earlier today - despite an admission by Environment Minister, Margaret Beckett that the current distances may not prevent neighbouring crops from significant levels of GM pollution [1]. FOE believes that the separation distances for GM oil seed rape trials should be at least 5km. The separation distance between GM oil seed rape and conventional varieties is currently 50 metres. Friends of the Earth has described today's announcement as reckless.
Pete Riley, GM campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
"The separation distance around these GM crop trials are pathetic. If they go ahead neighbouring and organic crops within a 5 kilometres radius will be at risk from GM contamination. The Government knows the separation distances are inadequate but has recklessly failed to act.
Earlier today Food Standard's Agency revealed that 15 per cent of bakery products were contaminated with GM soya. These trials may lead to similar contamination incidents in the food chain and deny the public its right to say no to GMOs"
Last September the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission published a report which was critical of the FSEs. One of its recommendations was that "the programme of FSEs should be completed subject to...the Government working with SCIMAC and representatives of the organic farming industry to set adequate separation distances for the remaining trials to ensure that the interests of all parties are accommodated." Earlier this month Environment Minister, Margaret Beckett, responded that "the separation distances for the FSEs have been set to ensure that cross-pollination is a maximum of 1%. However...there is a case for separation distances to be greater so as to ensure a maximum of, for example, 0.1% cross-pollination". To achieve this FOE estimates that separation distances should be at least 5 km. Last year the European Commission said that a 5km separation distance would be needed to ensure that oilseed rape seed production achieved a contamination threshold of 0.3%.
Earlier today the FSA revealed that 15 % of bakery products surveyed contained GM ingredients - none of them were labelled. Three samples were found to contain more than 1% GM Soya Such products are required to be labelled as containing GM under EC regulation. It is not known how the products came to be contaminated with GM material as most European food manufacturers now avoid GM ingredients in response to overwhelming consumer rejection of the new technology.
1.
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Friends of the Earth
Homepage:
http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/real_food/press_for_change/gm_trial_locations/index.html
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
GM Schlops - Fight Capitalism, Not Crops!
04.02.2002 19:49
What's all this about GM? There's no evidence there's anything dangerous about 'em! Let's go get the WEF, and fuck over the entire capitalist economy, priorities please! We KNOW Capitalismo Kills, so lets kill Capitalism. Don't get distracted by Lord Felchett's petty fads and hobbies. Perhaps he got bored hunting, and wanted something violent to do in the countryside!!!
Anarchos - without government
Destroy Authority! Dismantle Government!
Pietro Rocho
Er.......I think you are bing silly
04.02.2002 22:48
Alan-a-Dale
Sorry Petro you are wrong
05.02.2002 10:37
This is because nature is such a complex system it is impossible to determine what knock on effects something may have (its a chaotic system - read up on chaos theory).
I spent 4 years studying Ecology so I have a fair idea about most of this and it is very risky (at the moment the level of science is the equivelent of a monkey picking up an object that a human droped and pushing the buttons on it, it might be a lighter or it could be a gun)- but if you dont trust me how about the mainstream media
Joseph
GM schlops - fighting the power!
05.02.2002 18:07
Anyway, that's not the point.
Capitalism is only one current form of domination (as was state communism etc). It is a symptom of hierarchical systems that cannot respect people or planet. That is why I fight for a better world in the best way I choose. Going to the WEF is one way, but 'the system' is present in our everyday lives where we live. I think that is where it has to be fought. Though the WEF is an important symbol, it is not where the real business goes on.
Unfortunately it ain't as simple as "cars kill, so kill cars" (or similar phrases). I fight authority and government. For me, genetics is about absolute control of our lives, and life itself. That's my good anarchist fight. Don't get stuck in cliches.
a resistance fighter