| NFU tells farmers how to destroy GM contaminated oilseed rape crops | Farmers can destroy the GM contaminated oilseed rape crops and still qualify for EU Arable Area Payments. Since 9th June, the National Farmers' Union is advising farmers on the best way to destroy them. NFU Cental Office 020 7331 7200; NFUS 0131 472 4000; NFUW 01792 774 848. | |
| Farmers advised to destroy GM contaminated crops | Advanta Seeds UK has advised farmers to destroy their GM contaminated oilseed rape crops and says that it will compensate them for their loss. (02/06/00) | |
| Even the Farmers Guardian says ... | "Government GM trial policy is basically in tatters" (Farmers Guaradian, editorial comment, 02/06/00) | |
| An oilseed rape specialist involved in the current GM field trials says ... | "It is really terribly sad that so many people appear to have become so involved with the anti-GM campaign." (Simon Kightley, quoted in Farmers Weekly, 23/06/00) | |
| The Government says it will listen to public opinion | "I do think we need more evidence of public opinion and that should help to form Government opinion over these next few weeks and months.'' (Michael Meacher speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, 25/05/00) | |
| Legal action in support of organic farmers | The Soil Association has threatened the Government with legal action if it fails to protect organic farmers, whose livelihood is in jeopardy from GM pollen from contaminated crops. | |
| US farmers support compensation call for Brits | "You
- the people of this country - have convinced your lawmakers to enact
a law that says no GM crops can be planted for commercial use ...
the English government should not force its own farmers and its own
people to compromise a law of the land ... your fellow farmers across
the sea believe that farmers who unknowingly planted GM-contaminated
seed deserve fair compensation. The law is the law and it must be
followed - for England's farmers, for England's environment and for
England's people." (David Frederickson, President, Minnesota Farmers Union, who also serves on the US Department of Agriculture's Biotechnology Advisory committee, 25/05/00) |
|
| Another farmer digs up GM contaminated oilseed rape crop | "On Friday May 19th we were notified by our seed merchants that our sample was contaminated by approximately 0.4% of genetically modified seed. On Monday 22nd, I instructed our contractors to spray off the crop with Gramoxone, destroying the whole 65 hectares. We will now re-drill this acreage with a pure seed variety. (Marquess of Lansdowne, letter to the Times, 25/05/00) | |
| France orders destruction of GM crop ... | and has also ordered an inquiry into how the GM and ordinary seeds came to be mixed. (BBC Online News, 25/05/00) | |
| Sweden decides to destroy the GM contaminated crops | "The Swedish Board of Agriculture has received a wide support for the decision we have made, from the authorities and organisations that have been consulted in this case ... As I have stated earlier, we must be able to trust that something that is stated as "GMO free" really is just that, it's a matter of uprightness. (Ms Ingbritt Irhammar, Director General of the Board of Agriculture, Sweden) | |
| First farmer digs up GM contaminated oilseed rape crop | “This is a brave action by an individual farmer facing company pressure and Government indifference. But it is a disgrace that farmers have been put in this position. The Government has a duty to see that all the contaminated crops are removed from the ground at once, and that farmers are properly compensated for any losses they suffer." (FoE Real Food Campaigner Pete Riley, 23/05/00) | |
|
Another farmer withdraws from GM oilseed rape farmscale trials |
The farmscale trial at Priors Hardwick Farm, Northamptonshire is now no more. Now we are down to 13 farmscale oilseed rape trials in the UK. | |
|
Supermarket |
All the major supermarkets in the UK have promised NOT to buy the contaminated oilseed rape from the farms affected by the GM seeds (Daily Mail, 20/05/00) | |
| GM and non-GM seeds can be segregated, even in the USA | Over 20% of seed distributors in the USA are segregating GM from non-GM maize and soya beans. Jeffrey Smith, vice president of marketing and communications at Genetic ID, a company which screens agricultural produce for GM material, says: "My guess is that when harvest comes around, the percentage testing and segregating will be much higher." (source New Scientist, 27/05/00) | |
| Support
for DIG IT UP! |
The aims of the DIG IT UP! campaign are endorsed by - in alphabetical order - Christian Ecology Link, Five Year Freeze, Genetix Food Alert, the Green Party, Greenpeace UK, the International Society for Ecology and Culture, the Natural Law Party, Norfolk Genetic Information Network, the North Yorkshire Moors Association and the Soil Association. | |
| Advanta's loss of reputation | "Advanta admits Hyola spring rape may now be a dead brand." (Farmers Weekly,14/07/00) | |
| A final thought | "We should be on our guard not to overestimate science and scientific methods when it is a question of human problems; and we should not assume that experts are the only ones who have a right to express themselves on questions affecting the organization of society." Albert Einstein, May 1949. |
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| ACTION | DIARY | LINKS | DON'T DESPAIR | DETAIL |
Scarborough, UK,
May 2000
dig-it-up@envoy.dircon.co.uk
www.dig-it-up.uk.net
updated daily