London shoppers are getting a taste of the countryside today after Greenpeace released more than thirty costume cows into the flagship Sainsbury's store in Greenwich. The invasion is a protest against the supermarket chain's continued support for the GM industry.
Sainsbury's own-brand milk comes from cows fed on American GM animal feed. Although the company claims to lead its rivals in providing quality food, Sainsbury's is supporting the import of thousands of tonnes of GM into the UK every month.
With the government about to announce that GM maize will soon be grown here - most of which will be fed to dairy cows - Sainbury's is in a position to deal a blow to Britain's GM industry before it gets on its feet. If Sainsbury's is serious about quality, say the protesters, it should turn its back on GM milk today.
The Greenpeace cows were released into the store by milkmen at 10.30am this morning. Several of the animals are currently chained to the dairy aisle while others are tethered to the entrance. Some of the bovine protesters are on the store's roof with a five metre high milk bottle, on which is printed the message "GM MILK SOLD HERE". The cows say they will only leave when Sainsbury's agrees to stop selling GM milk.
Greenpeace campaigner Emma Gibson said:
"The GM maize that Tony Blair wants British farmers to grow will mostly be used to feed dairy cows. Sainsbury's can help stop GM in its tracks by turning its back on this GM milk. Sainsbury's shoppers have been clear on GM, they don't want to buy it and they don't want to see it on supermarket shelves. If Sainsbury's wants to live up to the claims it makes in its advertisements it should listen to its customers and stop selling GM milk. It's one thing to say you only sell quality products, but when those products fund the cultivation and import of huge amounts of harmful GM crops, it's time to make a change."
Already Marks & Spencer has made a commitment to only sell milk from cows fed on non-GM. The GM crops that feed Sainsbury's cows come mostly from America, where studies show GM has harmed the environment.
Emma Gibson added: "If Tony Blair allows GM to be grown here, Sainsbury's buying policy could soon be harming the British countryside as well."
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