Genetically Modification – say No to GMO

We are committed to farming without Genetically Modified Organisms and have many grave reservation about this technology, as it stands today.

Experience in North America has shown that contamination is not just a threat, it is a reality. Contamination has wiped out the whole organic rape seed oil farming sector of Saskatchewan in Canada - an area larger than the UK. But contamination does not only threaten organic farmers; conventional farmers in Canada have also reported contamination in their crops. Indeed, cross-pollination has been recorded despite the contaminating GM crops being many miles away from the non-GM site. Co-existence has been proved not to work.

We believe that growing GM crops in Britain offers no benefit to farmers, will threaten the growth of organic food production and will damage the environment. And we are not alone. RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, and the Soil Association have all reached similar conclusions, while in May, the National Trust banned the growing of GM on its 2,000 tenant farms.

Farmers and consumers have a right to choose what they grow and what they eat. With the introduction of GM crops as they exist today, this will no longer be possible.

What is GM?

Genetically Modified (GM) crop plants can include any species that the creator corporations decide to conquer, such as cotton, rice, maize, wheat, soybean, or tomatoes. Despite links to health problems and environmental impact, no proper controls have ever been introduced to ensure that they do not harm animals, humans, or ecosystems.

Why are some governments so keen to prop up the genetic engineering technology? Just as the big chemical producers convinced governments that pesticides were essential to feed the world, the GM giants (sometimes the same companies!) have used the same message. (This mistaken assumption has even reared its head illogically in campaigns for GM cotton in India, where farmers had to point out helpfully that nobody eats cotton!)

Unfortunately GM ‘solutions’ for farmers so far have usually been connected to the increased use of pesticides, leading to more pollution, newly herbicide-tolerant weeds, and problems caused by the volunteering of herbicide-tolerant GM crops which persist in the soils and cannot be easily removed to clear the ground for next year’s crop.

Trapped by gene ownership

GM companies have been criticised for suing farmers who keep some of their crop seeds ready for next year. So instead of having a crop for food next year, farmers have been forced to destroy all seeds with the patented genes that were installed into the original seed sold. They are forced by sale contracts and legal action to destroy all leftover GM seed.

This sounds ridiculous enough… but what if some ‘privately owned’ genes are passed to wild populations, or to neighbouring farms who did not buy GM products in the first place? This has already happened.

One hypothetical GM application dubbed 'Terminator' is a yet-to-be-commercialised technology that would allow the production of crops that would be sterile – to stop anybody else from growing their own plants. This would serve to control and protect the patented genes in a special crop. However the possibility is that the gene would be passed on to non-target species and varieties, leading to a mass sterility of food plants – disaster!

The patent for this "terminator" gene technology is already owned by Delta and Pine Land and the United States Department of Agriculture. Delta and Pine Land was bought by Monsanto in August 2006.

Say No to GM

The controlling, polluting and unregulated approach shown by GM engineering corporations is the opposite of a sustainable food system. We urge the governments of the world to reject GM, and we urge you to say No to GM.

What you can do – simple steps

Wherever you shop, tell them you don’t want to buy products contain GM and tell the food producers you don’t want GM foods. Tell your politicians too.