The shoppers guide to GM
Moves by Tesco, Asda and Marks and Spencer this week to remove GM from animal feed will mark the beginning of the end for GM crops in Britain and Europe, as consumers continue to say a resounding NO to GM.
The announcement means that the companies will move towards non-GM in all meat products and are commited to non-GM dairy products as well. Tesco and Asda currently hold around 42% of the UK grocery market between them.
The news is even more significant than supermarket decisions in 1999 to ban GM ingredients from their food, because of the huge quantities of GM crops that end up in animal feed. GM ingredients in food in a sense were the tip of the Icebergof GM crops, whereas animal feed is where the issue will be won or lost.
If we really want GM free food, we have to stop growing GM crops for animal feed. The decisions made this week will have a profound impact on the GM industry and should also impact on decisions by US farmers on whether to plant GM crops again this year.
Safeway also made an initial commitment this week to remove GM from animal feed, which leaves Somerfield as the last major supermarket yet to make a move on animal feed.
