"FARMING NEWS"
A version of the following letter by a Wessex Natural Law Party supporter was published as the week's reader's opinion in the February 27th 1998 Edition of "Farming News", a leading weekly periodical for British Farmers. In a following edition "Farming News" ran its main editorial calling for greater caution in the introduction of GMOs into agriculture.
Under the title "GM crops are going nowhere?" a version of the letter was also published in the 3rd April 1998 Edition of "Farmers Weekly", another of the major UK farming periodicals.
NO MARKET FOR GENE MODIFIED CROPS
Dear Sir
Impressive technological claims are made by plant breeders about genetically modified (GM) crops, but are these claims of any value if there is no market for the end product?
Earlier in the year British Sugar announced that it will not be accepting beet from growers who use genetically modified varieties if GM beet becomes cleared for use in the UK. British Sugar is concerned that if it starts accepting modified beet then its major retail and processing customers, who are currently demanding GM-free guarantees, will switch to unmodified sources of cane sugar.
Modified Soya now trades at a discounted price relative to conventional Soya on world markets because of consumer concerns about the potential long term health implications. The Federation of Bakers has confirmed that its members, who produce 80% of the UK’s bread, now have a policy of sourcing all their Soya from unmodified varieties grown in Canada in order to avoid modified varieties from the US.
Last November Iceland Frozen Foods announced that it is adopting a policy of ensuring that all its own brand products have no ingredients derived from genetically modified crops.
Breeders of genetically modified crops promise a great deal to farmers and growers in theory, but in practice the economic realities are somewhat different. As the Iron Lady herself once said, "You can’t buck the market". Are GM crops a fast track to no markets at all?
Yours faithfully,
Mark Griffiths
Will GM crops deliver benefits to farmers? - some
realities behind biotechnology myths
Dorset farmers react in support of NLP GM warnings
Why staying GM-free is in UK agriculture's best interests
NLP letter in Farmers Weekly on economic advantages of keeping EU gmo
free - April 98
Federation of Bakers Homepage
GM crops a threat to future viability of farming in Hampshire
Hampshire firm develops non-genetically engineered Soya for growing
in UK
Iceland freezes out
'genetic' goods
British Sugar says it
will not accept GM sugar beet
French supermarket
chain boycotts suppliers who do not label GM foods
Dorset farmers react in support of NLP GM warnings
Natural Law Party campaign to ban genetically modified foods in
Wessex
Promoting Sustainable Agriculture
