GLOUCESTERSHIRE GOES GM-FREE

Jan 29 2004

Gloucestershire County Council has become the latest county in the South
West to go GM free. It follows a vote by councillors yesterday afternoon.
Gloucestershire joins a growing number of local authorities around the
country responding to local concerns about the effects of eating and growing
GM food and crops. Friends of the Earth, which is campaigning for a GM-free
Britain [1] has welcomed the vote.

The motion was given cross-party support [2]. It urged the Government not to
allow the import and commercial growing of GM crops and food, "until and
unless public opinion changes". The council adopted a GM-free policy on all
goods and services it is responsible for. It reaffirmed its policy
preventing GM crops on land it controls and will apply to use a new European
law to prevent GM crops being grown across the entire county [3].

Councillor Jonquil Naish, who proposed the motion said

"I am delighted that the council has passed this resolution, expressing the
will of the people of Gloucestershire. The numerous letters I have received
clearly show that local people don't want GM crops grown in this county, or
in the rest of Britain, and they don't want to eat GM food."

Friends of the Earth GM free South West Coordinator Keith Hatch said

"This is great news.It is good for local farmers and businesses, good for
local people and good for the local environment. Recent reports have shown
that the public do not want to eat GM food. GM crops are not economically
viable and threaten the environment. The Government must now follow the lead
of councils up and down the country and reject the commercial growing of
these unpopular and unnecessary crops. "

The UK Government will shortly announce its official policy on GM crops.
Friends of the Earth believes that no GM crops should be grown, including
trials, until new laws are in place to prevent contamination of organic and
conventional crops, and to determine liability if things go wrong [4].

Notes
[1] To date over 30 local authorities have passed GM free resolutions. See
www.gmfreebritain.com

[2] Gloucestershire County Council 28 January 2004

The Council approved the following recommendations: i) That the Council
having listened closely to the serious concerns of the people of
Gloucestershire, with particular regard to the health hazards and
environmental dangers of GM crops, urges government to ban the import and
commercial growing of GM products, until and unless public opinion changes
its present view and decides in favour of GM crops.
ia) In the spirit of this recommendation and today's debate the Council
resolves to write to the Secretary of State expressing our view, enclosing a
copy of this report and the Council's minute of this debate before she makes
any decision on growing and marketing of any GM Crops.

ii) That the Council reaffirms its existing policy on GM crops, with respect
to crops grown on land over which it has control.

iii) That the Council adopts a GM free policy for all goods and services for
which it is responsible.

iv) That the Council considers each prospective GMO marketing consent and
where appropriate, writes to both the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs and to the European Commission requesting that a
condition under Article 19(3)(c) of 2001/18/EC be added to such marketing
consent so as to exempt Gloucestershire from the scope of such consent.

[3] Councils can request legal protection of their areas from particular GM
crops using Article 19 of the Deliberate Release Directive 2001/19/EC. For
more explanation see briefing on GM-Free local areas:

www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/gmfree_local_areas.pdf (PDF? format)
[4] Friends of the Earth supports Conservative MP Gregory Barker who has
brought forward a Bill to set such rules. It will be debated in Parliament
on 26th March 2004. It is not known whether the Government will support this
Bill or not.