The case against GM crops

1
The case against GM crops

• Alissa Cook
• policy officer
• Soil Association

2
Areas of concern in regards to GM

• Do we know enough about GE to allow GM food into
  the food chain.
• What are the benefits of GM crops to the farming
  community?
• Can GM crops benignly co-exist with non-GM and
  organic production?

3
Do we know enough?

• Entering areas of science where there is still
  limited knowledge.
• We dont know how natural genetic processes work.
• Science Review Panel officially acknowledges the
  levels of uncertainty and gaps in knowledge.

4
Impact on health

• Feeding trials only way to test impact but very
  few have been done.
• A level of testing is carried out by companies
  -very little independent studies to verify the
  results.
• Only 10 published studies into the health effects
  of GM.

5
Impact on environment

• Results of FSE provide an insight
• GM sugar beet and oilseed rape cause decline in
  wild plants and invertebrates gt RSPB say should
  ban.
• GM maize caused increase in weeds and some
  invertebrate species. But it was compared to
  system that was using a banned chemical.
• Trials only evaluated one year of planting,
  problems emerge after a few years.

6
Impact on environment (cont..)

• A recent study from Canada reports that GM
  Herbicide Tolerant oilseed rape is now one of the
  10 top agricultural weeds.
• Farmers now use herbicide mixtures of RoundUp and
  more toxic products e.g 2,4-D to clean fields.

7
Do GM crops live up to expectation?

• Higher yields?
• Cleaner fields?
• Reduced herbicide use?
• Reduced pesticide use?
• Higher profits?
• Why is the acreage of GM crops increasing?

8
Can GM crops benignly co-exist with non-GM
production?

• GM contamination has occurred throughout the food
  chain.
• Means that GM crops are more problematic for the
  non-GM farmer.

9
Can GM crops co-exist with non-GM production?
(cont.)

• A survey conducted in Canada suggests that in
  regions where GM oilseed rape is grown, 97 of
  all certified OSR seed is now contaminated.
• Canada has lost its organic OSR market and US
  farmers are struggling to supply non-GM maize
  markets.

10
Can GM crops co-exist with non-GM production?
(cont.)

• GM contamination has led to costly product
  recalls - the Starlink case is estimated to have
  cost the US 1 billion.
• farmers have also been accused of having
  infringed company patents.

11
Is there a market for GM crops in the UK?

• Surveys suggest not.
• Results of the GM public debate
• 95 worried about GM contamination
• 93 believe not enough is know about long health
  effects
• 86 are unhappy with the idea of eating GM foods
  and only 8 are happy to eat GM food.
• GM crops will undermine consumer choice.

12
Conclusion

• With the level of uncertainty why rush into
  growing GM crops.
• Gloucestershire has a mixed and varied
  agriculture which shapes the countryside.
• According to EC July 2003 recommendation
  measures of regional dimension could be
  considered if sufficient levels of purity cannot
  be achieved by other means.