NEWS RELEASE

NLP calls for Hampshire to be declared
"GMO Free Zone"

Seven point action plan put to leader of County Council

  Date: 17 August 1998

MPs don't want to eat GM food

Rosemary Barry, Natural Law Party candidate in the 1997 Winchester By-Election, has written to the Leader of Hampshire County Council, Cllr Freddie Emery-Wallis, asking that Hampshire be declared a "GMO Free Zone" [GMO = Genetically Modified Organism].  

The request follows the recent decision of the House of Commons'  catering committee to introduce its own ban on genetically modified food ingredients so that MPs do not have to eat them. Mrs Barry claims that if MPs need to be protected against the   risks associated with these novel foods, then so does the rest of the population.

Mrs Barry has therefore put forward a seven point action plan to the County Council to discourage the growing of genetically modified crops and the sale and consumption of genetically modified foods in Hampshire. The plan comprises:

1. The formal declaration of Hampshire’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 (as is now stipulated by Kent County Council).
   
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 (as has recently been instigated by Torbay District Council, in Devon).
   
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" status is properly maintained by those undertaking to achieve it.

Central Government under pressure from United States

Mrs Barry claims both the UK government and the European Commission are being placed under considerable pressure from the White House to accept GM foods because of the US’s heavy investment in them.  However, Austria, France, and Luxembourg have already unilaterally imposed partial or total bans on GM crops.

"In the absence of adequate protection provided by our own national government and the European Union 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 Hampshire the first "GMO Free" county in the country," comments Mrs Barry.

Majority do not want GM crops and food

As evidence of public support for her plan Mrs Barry has referred the County Council to the results of a MORI poll carried out in June which revealed that :

1. 75% of the British public feel there should be a ban on the growing of GM crops here until there has been further assessment of the implications
2. 73 % are concerned about genetic pollution
3. 61% (up 8% since December 1996) do not want to eat GM foods
4. 58% (up 7% since December 1996) do not welcome the use of GM in foods

Mrs Barry expects these figures to continue to increase as the public becomes more aware of the implications of the introduction of the technology.

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 Hampshire who wish to avoid such foods to do so. The only way to adequately safeguard the situation is to take steps to ensure that GM foods and crops do not feature in Hampshire at all," concludes Mrs Barry.

Incoherence is core problem

The Natural Law Party regards the current GM crisis as resulting from an inability by individuals, businesses 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 the 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.

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

Notes for Editors:

1. The Natural Law Party is established in over 70 countries around the world including all 15 EU member states and is   seeking a global ban on GM foods.

2. Rosemary Barry can be contacted on 01703 267345.

3. 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

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