NEWS RELEASE

Dorset GMO-Free Zone call at Greenpeace meeting

Wessex Natural Law Party leader outlines GMO-Free issues and action plan

 Date: 6 July 1999

GM-Free petitions for Dorset already underway

Mark Griffiths, leader of the Natural Law Party in Wessex, was guest speaker on the subject of GM food and crops at a local meeting of Greenpeace on Monday evening at the Castle Tavern in Christchurch.

After outlining the substantial risks to health and the environment from GM products, Mr Griffiths called for Greenpeace supporters and members of the public to help with petitions across Dorset calling for the county to be declared a "GMO-Free Zone".

Signatures for such petitions have already started to be collected across the county by a variety of local groups, confirmed Mr Griffiths, but more help is needed.

Seven point action plan for GMO free Dorset

These petitions follow a seven point action plan put to the Dorset County Council last summer by the Natural Law Party to discourage the growing of genetically modified crops and the sale and consumption of genetically modified foods in Dorset. The plan comprises:

1. The formal declaration of Dorset’s official "GMO-Free Zone" status after due consideration of the issue by County Council members.
   
2. The stipulation in all County Council school dinner supply contracts that no food ingredients derived from GMOs are permitted.
   
3. That a prohibition is made on the use of GMO ingredients in all other food supplies purchased by the Council, such as for staff canteens.
   
4. That a prohibition on the growing of GMO crops is applied to all agricultural land owned by the County Council (such as its agricultural smallholdings estate).
   
5. That the County Council encourages District Councils and other public sector bodies within the County to adopt similar policies.
   
6. That the County Council encourages private sector bodies within the County to adopt similar policies (including food retailers and processors, pubs, restaurants, works canteens, farmers and landowners).
   
7. That the County Council ensures that its Planning, Estates, Education, and Trading Standards departments are properly resourced to monitor the situation in order to ensure that "GMO- Free Zone" status is properly maintained by those undertaking to achieve it.

Some action in this direction has already been taken by the County Council but a formal declaration of the county's GMO- Free Zone status is needed to add further momentum to the process.

Dorset should follow example of Welsh Assembly

Whilst welcoming the recent de-facto moratorium by the EU on new GMO consents Mr Griffiths expressed deep concern that little was been done by central government to ensure citizens had proper access to a GMO-free diet.

"In the absence of adequate protection provided by our own national government it is vital that local government throughout the UK should act quickly to protect the public interest before irreparable damage is done to citizens' health and the environment . I very much hope that the County Council will take an immediate lead in this matter by declaring Dorset the first "GMO-Free" county in England," commented Mr Griffiths, who pointed out that such a step is currently being considered by the new devolved Assembly in Wales.

Food labelling is not solution

The best solution to growing public concern so far offered by the government is its support for EU food labelling regulations. These, however, are grossly inadequate according to the Wessex Natural Law Party. The new EU rules will only  make it mandatory to label less than 5% of food products (those containing DNA and protein) which have GMO derived ingredients.

"It is not sufficient for the government to claim  that the introduction of labelling will enable consumers to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to take the risks associated with GM foods. Even if the labelling provisions were adequate, the high proportion of food now eaten outside of the home  - in pubs, restaurants, works canteens, schools, and so on - means that it is going to be impossible for those citizens in Dorset who wish to avoid such foods to do so with certainty. The only way to adequately safeguard the situation is to take steps to ensure that GM foods and crops do not feature in Dorset at all," concluded Mr Griffiths.

Incoherence is core problem

The Natural Law Party regards the current GM crisis as resulting from an inability by individuals, businesses, scientists and government to think and act holistically.  For this reason the Party's chief policy focus is the introduction of well researched educational and social programmes to create coherence in individual and collective consciousness. The principal aim of these coherence creating programmes is to prevent future situations of any kind which are potentially damaging to the social, economic and environmental well-being of society before they arise.

"We want to create a situation where people can spend their time enjoying health and the environment, rather than having to use most of their valuable energies defending them instead," said Mr Griffiths.

------ENDS------

Notes for Editors:

1. Mark Griffiths can be contacted on 01962 852122 or by email at nlpwessex@bigfoot.com

2. Greenpeace in Dorset can be contacted via Karina Wildwood on 01202 595516.

3. The Natural Law Party is active in over 80 countries around the world including all 15 EU member states and is   seeking a global ban on GM foods.

4. More information on the dangers of genetically modified food and the Natural Law Party's coherence creating programmes can be obtained from the Wessex NLP internet site at www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex .

Will GM crops deliver benefits to farmers? - some realities behind biotechnology myths
Why consumers are concerned about GM foods
Why GM technology in agriculture is flawed
Letter in Farming News on lack of markets for GM crops
GM crops a threat to future viability of farming in Hampshire

Natural Law Party campaign to ban genetically modified foods in Wessex
Dorset farmers react in support of NLP GM warnings
Dorset Farmers advised to avoid GM Oilseed Rape

Back to Home Page

Our News Page ¦ NLP Policies ¦ NLP Wessex  ¦ Contact Us
Genetic Engineering Campaign ¦ 1999 Euro Elections