Consumers remain overwhelmingly against GM foods - in response, all the major UK supermarkets and food companies have reiterated their commitment to keep GM ingredients out of their own brand products.
Summary The government is sponsoring a nationwide public debate on whether to allow GM crops to be grown in the UK. Greenpeace has created a guide to help people get involved in the debate. It highlights the crucial issues the public and government must consider before any decision on commercialising GM crops is made.
Research published today by Greenpeace exposes the Bush Administration's use of the famine in southern Africa as a marketing tool to push GM food in the continent. The document details how the offer of GM food aid by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the latest move in a ten-year marketing campaign designed to facilitate the introduction of US-developed GM crops into Africa. In addition, the US food aid programme effectively channels a huge covert subsidy to American GM farmers through the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust.
Greenpeace said today it would welcome a proper debate on GM crops but that there were major doubts over the Government's political and financial commitment to a serious public consultation.
Greenpeace GM campaigner Ben Ayliffe said,
"It would be great to have a real debate on GM food but the Government must reveal whether the future of GM is really up for discussion? Margaret Beckett must say whether or not the Government would be willing to ban GM crops in the UK following the outcome of this debate. Unless this happens, the debate is pointless."
As the United States prepares to launch a trade war over European plans to label all GM food, a new MORI poll reveals that British consumers want European leaders like Tony Blair to stand up to George Bush and defend their right to know what they're eating.
Science, technology and our future: the big questions.
What is 'natural'?
Publication date: 16th April 2002
Summary
Chris Leaver explained how all food crops were the products of human intervention and made a plea for genetic modification to be used to feed the world, particularly with a growing population.
World scientists demand halt to US exports, as Nature publishes evidence
DNA from genetically modified corn has been found in wild maize on remote mountains in Mexico. Evidence documenting the extent of this genetic pollution has been published in the scientific journal Nature.
