This Friday (26th August 2005), Maizy the milk float, a herd of dairy cows and a Greenpeace milkman will deliver the results of the GM milk ballot launched last March to Supermarket managers across Cardiff. The ballot which asked the simple question "Do you want to drink GM milk?" shows an overwhelming rejection by the people of Cardiff for GM milk with a massive 97% saying no.
Consumer power pushed GM from supermarket shelves but a loophole remains in milk. Cows are fed on imported GM animal feed, despite studies showing that growing GM harms the environment. Unless supermarkets stop selling their GM milk, Wales can never be truly GM-free.
The supermarkets receiving the results - Asda, Tesco and Waitrose, all currently use GM animal feed, despite the fact that they could go GM-free at virtually no extra cost. Greenpeace research shows that it would cost supermarkets less than a penny a litre to be GM free. As they make on average 30 pence per litre profit they can easily afford to bear this additional cost, without putting any more pressure on dairy farmers already struggling to make ends meet.
Marks and Spencers has already shown the way by committing to selling only milk from cows fed on GM-free feed.
Greenpeace GM campaigner Ben Ayliffe said, "We're here today to show these supermarkets what the people of Cardiff want, and the results of the poll clearly show what is essentially a no-brainer. The people of Cardiff don't want to drink GM milk."
The ballot kicked off by polling Welsh Assembly members and has been travelling the streets and parks of Cardiff balloting members of the public all summer.
Further information:
Please contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255
Notes:
i) See www.guardian.co.uk
ii) See: GM and dairy cow feed - Steps to a GM-free future for the UK dairy industry.
