Fwd: [SoFlaVegans] Organic food sector under threat from new GM rules

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Organic food sector under threat from new GM rules

By Anthony Fletcher

08/02/2007

 

http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?n=74032 & m=2flg209 & c=qdrhrvoeraoqydo & idP=1

 

New UK government proposals to allow up to 0.9 per

cent GM in organic food without it being labelled

threatens a highly lucrative industry, claim

campaigners.

 

The Soil Association said that businesses with

turnover of £950m were " left in the cold " by the

government consultation, which examined the

coexistence between GM crops, non-GM crops and organic

crops in England.

 

A delegation representing 74 organic businesses met at

the House of Commons to express their concerns this

week.

 

The meeting, hosted by Peter Ainsworth MP, shadow

secretary of state for the environment, and Jim Paice

MP, shadow agriculture minister, was organised by the

Food and Drink Federation's Organic Group and The Soil

Association.

 

" There is overwhelming evidence that one of the main

reasons that consumers buy organic is to avoid eating

food containing any GM, " said Alex Smith of Alara,

chair of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF)'s Organic

Group.

 

" If the proposals set out by the government were

implemented, very significant new economic burdens

could be placed on organic food producers,

manufacturers and retailers. Organic businesses will

face enhanced risks of GM contamination, product

recall and loss of their most valuable asset, the

consumer trust that underlies their brand value " .

 

The Soil Association also claimed that while the

government met with a number of GM companies, during

the consultation, no organic business was consulted

directly.

 

" People who eat organic food will end up paying for a

GM policy designed to benefit the GM companies, " said

Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director.

 

" The government is putting at risk one of the fastest

growing areas of the UK economy. Tesco's organic sales

grew by 39 per cent last year. Organic farm shops and

box schemes are seeing similar rates of growth. "

 

Indeed, AC Nielsen Data also shows sales for

Sainsburys' organic range has increased 18.4 per cent

year on year. And the European organic market, worth

€20.7 billion in 2004, has been growing by 26 per cent

since 2001.

 

However the biotech sector, along with regulators,

argue that adequate controls have been put in place to

ensure that cross-contamination is not an issue.

 

Simon Barber, director of the plant biotechnology unit

at EuropaBio - the European association for

bioindustries said recently that thousands of European

farmers grew GM last year, successfully co-existing

with their neighbours.

 

In addition, Mariann Fischer Boel, member of the

European Commission responsible for agriculture and

rural development, pointed out that the question of

how to cultivate a given GM crop alongside non-GM

crops only arises if that crop has already been

cleared as harmless by the EU's assessment system.

That system she said, was arguably the strictest in

the world.

 

Nonetheless, Melchett said that " warmly welcomed " the

motion tabled in the House of Commons, which states

that " consumers have the right to choose non-GM foods

and that all foods containing GM material, or that

come from livestock fed on GM, should be clearly

labelled as such " , and that 0.1 per cent GM " should be

the trigger point for GM labelling " .

 

" We hope it is not too late for the Government to

change their pro-GM stance, which threatens public

trust in organic farming and food, " he said.

 

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