THREAT OF CIVIL UNREST OVER GM

Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
From: ...

Originally from the Western Morning News

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=103343&command=displayContent&sourceNode=103332&contentPK=7176893

09:00 – 25 September 2003

String of protests is planned by activists

The Government faces a campaign of civil unrest if it ignores the public's official condemnation over the commercialisation of genetically modified crops, Westcountry protesters warned last night.

Road blocks, the pulling up of GM crops and mass demonstrations are all being threatened if ministers refuse to take heed of the nation's overwhelming "no" vote in the Government's official consultation exercise on the technology.

Yesterday, it emerged that the public is overwhelmingly opposed to genetically modified crops, according the findings of the Government's official nationwide public consultation exercise.

The findings of the "GM Nation?" debate said most people were "cautious, suspicious or outrightly hostile" about GM crops. Some 54 per cent of the 40,000 people who took part said they were against the commercialisation of GM crops with a further 25 per cent undecided. Only two per cent of those interviewed said they would be happy to eat GM foods with 86 per cent saying they definitely would not eat them.

The report also said there was a widespread view that the Government had already taken a decision about GMs, so that the debate was only a camouflage and its results would be ignored. Professor Malcolm Grant, chairman of the independent GM Debate Steering Board, which organised the debate, said it did not attempt to judge the public's views but he urged the Government to listen.

However, Environment Minister Margaret Beckett was last night giving nothing away to campaigners, saying in a statement that she would "reflect carefully on the findings of today's report, along with those of the science review and our costs and benefits study, before publishing our response. We said that we will listen, and we will."

More people from the Westcountry than from any other region in Britain took part in the public debate which was held at 600 centres across the country this summer.

"The Government will ignore this report at its peril," warned Keith Hatch, Westcountry spokesman for Friends of the Earth. "The public has made it clear that it doesn't want GM food and it doesn't want GM crops."

Olaf Bayer from North Devon, speaking for environmental group The Green Gloves, said: "We are here to tell the Government that for every GM plant that it allows to be planted, there will be many pairs of hands willing to pull them up again."

The "GM Nation?" debate was commissioned by the Government to gauge public opinion ahead of major decisions over the future of GM crops which ministers are expected to take within the next few months.

Some of the findings of the report suggest that the further people go into GM issues the harder their attitudes become and the more intense their concerns. The document also highlights a widespread public mistrust of Government and of the multinational companies involved in the technology.

Totnes-based anti-GM campaigner Robert Vint welcomed the results, claiming they confirmed the public's concerns over the technology.

"This is a categorical confirmation of what we already knew – that the vast majority of the population are opposed to genetically modified crops and food. It reinforces the conclusion of other Government reports that there are no short-term economic benefits from GM crops and the environmental impact is still unknown.

"The Westcountry also welcomes the results, being an area of high levels of organic farming valued for its environment. It's an area with lots of small and high quality food producers."

But Archie Montgomery, chairman of the region's National Farmers' Union biotech working group, said he was sceptical about the results which he argued did not reflect the views of the "Clapham omnibus man".

"This debate involved mostly people who already had their minds made up against the technology and who, I would say, were blinkered in their views. It certainly didn't reflect the opinions of the ordinary consumer.

"From a pragmatic point of view, knowing that people choose to buy on price, I would say that Britain cannot go against the trend and refuse to commercialise GM crops.

"However, I'd stress that farmers will not grow GM if the public doesn't want it."

In June this year more than 200 farmers, consumers, councillors and environmentalists travelled to Taunton to express their views on the introduction of the technology in Britain.

Last year the Government launched the three-strand debate in a bid to gauge the scientific and economic impact of the technology as well as the public's opinions on the commercialisation of GM crops in Britain.

Key findings of the scientific and economic assessments stressed concerns over the technology's impact on the environment and human health. However, they suggest that potential benefits from GM should not be neglected.

THE Government faces a campaign of civil unrest if it ignores the public's official condemnation of the commercialisation of genetically modified crops, Westcountry protesters warned last night.

Road blocks, pulling up of GM crops and mass demonstrations are all threatened if ministers refuse to heed the nation's overwhelming "no" vote in the Government's official consultation exercise on the technology.

Yesterday, it emerged that the public is overwhelmingly opposed to genetically modified crops, according to the findings of the Government's official nationwide public consultation exercise.

The findings of the "GM Nation?" debate said most people were "cautious, suspicious or outrightly hostile" about GM crops. Some 54 per cent of the 40,000 people who took part were against the commercialisation of GM crops with a further 25 per cent undecided. Only two per cent said they would be happy to eat GM foods, with 86 per cent saying they definitely would not eat them.

The report also said there was a widespread view that the Government had already taken a decision, so that the debate was only a camouflage and its results would be ignored. Professor Malcolm Grant, chairman of the independent GM Debate Steering Board, which organised the debate, said it did not attempt to judge the public's views, but he urged the Government to listen.

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett was last night giving nothing away to campaigners, saying in a statement she would "reflect carefully on the findings of the report, along with those of the science review and our costs and benefits study, before publishing our response. We said we will listen, and we will".

More people from the Westcountry than from any other region in Britain took part in the public debate held at 600 centres across the country this summer.

"The Government will ignore this report at its peril," warned Keith Hatch, Westcountry spokesman for Friends of the Earth. "The public has made it clear it doesn't want GM food and doesn't want GM crops."

Olaf Bayer, from North Devon, of environmental group The Green Gloves, said: "We are here to tell the Government that for every GM plant that it allows to be planted, there will be many pairs of hands willing to pull them up again."

Totnes-based anti-GM campaigner Robert Vint welcomed the results, claiming they confirmed the public's concerns over the technology.

"This is a categorical confirmation of what we already knew – that the vast majority of the population are opposed to genetically modified crops and food," he said.

But Archie Montgomery, chairman of the region's National Farmers' Union biotech working group, said he was sceptical about the results, which he argued did not reflect the views of the "Clapham omnibus man".

"This debate involved mostly people who already had their minds made up against the technology and who, I would say, were blinkered in their views," he said. "It certainly didn't reflect the opinions of the ordinary consumer."

ONLY 7 BACK CROPS IN WEST – POLL

A Mori survey carried out at the beginning of the year showed that only seven per cent of the Westcountry population was in favour of the commercialisation of GM crops.

Last night, Totnes-based campaigner Robert Vint claimed there was little chance for the results to have changed over the last months.

He said: "Unfortunately, the report on the nationwide GM consultation which came out this week does not have a breakdown for regions, which could show how residents in the Westcountry voted on the matter.

"However, there is little chance that people may have changed their attitude and the results of the MORI survey last April may still be valid."

Last night, members of the biotech industry claimed the results were "orchestrated" by campaign groups and did not reflect the view of the entire nation on the commercialisation of the technology.

Paul Rylott, chairman of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council, said: "Unfortunately, this exercise doesn't tell us anything new. Websites run by groups opposed to GM crops had urged members to attend meetings in force, for example. And the report identifies middle-aged mothers as displaying the most 'implacable' opposition. It is time for Government to work with EU colleagues to ensure the lifting of the politically-imposed de facto moratorium on GM crops."