Organic news archive: January 2006
A plan by BASF, the chemicals and biotechnology company, for a field trial in Ireland of genetically modified potatoes looks likely to run into trouble from protestors. BASF has submitted an application to the country's Environmental Protection Agency to conduct field trials of potatoes that have been genetically modified to resist blight and which would avoid the need for farmers to spray the crops with larger amounts of pesticides. If this went ahead, it would be the first time genetically potatoes have been grown in Ireland, the biggest per-capita consumer of potatoes in Europe. (Financial Times � 28/1/06)
From April 2006, British schools have been told to give a higher priority to education outside the classroom. This is a good opportunity for farms with visitor centres. Farm Minister Jim Knight hopes that fears will be allayed over the safety of farm visits. Farming Today talks to a spokesperson from 'Farms For Schools' who have 126 members who host a third of a million of school children each year on visits. The Soil Association has 70 organic farms UK-wide visited by over 400,000 people annually including many schools. For more information visit: www.soilassociation.org (Farming Today - 30/1/06)
A report by the UK All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group will call for the Office of Fair Trading to trigger a full-blown investigation into the British supermarket sector. Of equal concern to the giant retailers will be a series of policy recommendations, which go to the heart of the giant retailers' business model. They include measures to allow local authorities to find resources to fight planning applications by supermarkets. (The Observer � 29/1/06)
Tony Blair has admitted that the risks of climate change may be more serious than previously thought. The Prime Minister's concern is revealed today in a book entitled Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change, which contains evidence from some of the world's leading scientists of the growing threat to the planet. It details records of a conference held at the headquarters of the UK Meteorological Office in Exeter last year, sponsored by the British Government to bring the science of global warming up to date. The next study by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the fourth assessment report, is not due until 2007. (The Independent � 30/1/06)
Under new rules proposed by European agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischler Boel, organic growers must not use GM seeds in production, but may be allowed up to 0.9% GM contamination of grain. The organic lobby was split between those who accept 0.9% contamination and those who want the threshold set at 0.1%. Contamination is defined as finding stray genes from neighbouring GM farms in the final organic crop.
The Soil Association and the whole European organic movement is united in complete opposition to GM contamination of organic crops and food. Routine contamination of organic products up to 0.9%, as would be allowed by this proposal, is unacceptable - this would mean almost one in a hundred mouthfuls could be GM. We are strongly opposed to GMOs in food and assert the right of people to choose genuinely non-GM organic food. GM contamination of non-GM foods is no more socially acceptable than passive smoking is to many people.
Any contamination over the limit of detection (0.1%) is unacceptable. We condemn the weak line the European Commission is taking on this issue. The GM industry and Government who have allowed GMOs should be controlling GM contamination, not trying to change the law to force the organic sector to accept the problems of the GM industry. The current policy is not in the public interest. The Government and European Commission should be doing everything in their power, legally and practically, to prevent organic food and farming being contaminated. If GM crops cannot be properly controlled, then they should not be allowed.
There should not be any threshold specified in the regulation and instead the use of all GMOs should continue to be prohibited, and this should be implemented in line with the normal process approach of organic farming standards and certification. The Commission should therefore abandon this proposal, and instead introduce GM contamination controls for GM farmers and seeds to keep contamination in non-GM crops below the practical limit of detection, ie. 0.1%. This means a strict GM co-existence and liability regime that protects the organic sector from all contamination and limits GM contamination of seed (all seed) to 0.1%. (Farmers' Weekly - 27/1/06)
Three MP's are demanding a boycott of Cadbury chocolate because the company is buying in French sugar on a trial basis. Cadbury are the company that owns Green & Black's. The MPs are disappointed that the British company are not supporting British producers. One MP says, "Someone should stand up for British farmers and agriculture." (BBC Radio 4)
An apple a day could keep memory loss at bay because they contain high levels of antioxidants. And organic vegetables have even higher levels (between 10% and 50%) of secondary nutrients including antioxidants, which help to mop up harmful free radicals implicated in cancer. Dr Thomas B Shea, of the University of Massachusetts, says, "The study suggests that eating and drinking apples and apple juice, in conjunction with a balanced diet, can protect the brain from the effects of oxidative stress � cell damage that contributes to memory loss." (Daily Mail � 25/1/06)
A plan by BASF, the chemicals and biotechnology company, for a field trial in Ireland of genetically modified potatoes looks likely to run into trouble from protestors. BASF has submitted an application to the country's Environmental Protection Agency to conduct field trials of potatoes that have been genetically modified to resist blight and which would avoid the need for farmers to spray the crops with larger amounts of pesticides. If this went ahead, it would be the first time genetically potatoes have been grown in Ireland, the biggest per-capita consumer of potatoes in Europe. (Financial Times � 28/1/06)
From April 2006, British schools have been told to give a higher priority to education outside the classroom. This is a good opportunity for farms with visitor centres. Farm Minister Jim Knight hopes that fears will be allayed over the safety of farm visits. Farming Today talks to a spokesperson from 'Farms For Schools' who have 126 members who host a third of a million of school children each year on visits. The Soil Association has 70 organic farms UK-wide visited by over 400,000 people annually including many schools. For more information visit: www.soilassociation.org (Farming Today - 30/1/06)
A report by the UK All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group will call for the Office of Fair Trading to trigger a full-blown investigation into the British supermarket sector. Of equal concern to the giant retailers will be a series of policy recommendations, which go to the heart of the giant retailers' business model. They include measures to allow local authorities to find resources to fight planning applications by supermarkets. (The Observer � 29/1/06)
Tony Blair has admitted that the risks of climate change may be more serious than previously thought. The Prime Minister's concern is revealed today in a book entitled Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change, which contains evidence from some of the world's leading scientists of the growing threat to the planet. It details records of a conference held at the headquarters of the UK Meteorological Office in Exeter last year, sponsored by the British Government to bring the science of global warming up to date. The next study by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the fourth assessment report, is not due until 2007. (The Independent � 30/1/06)
Under new rules proposed by European agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischler Boel, organic growers must not use GM seeds in production, but may be allowed up to 0.9% GM contamination of grain. The organic lobby was split between those who accept 0.9% contamination and those who want the threshold set at 0.1%. Contamination is defined as finding stray genes from neighbouring GM farms in the final organic crop.
The Soil Association and the whole European organic movement is united in complete opposition to GM contamination of organic crops and food. Routine contamination of organic products up to 0.9%, as would be allowed by this proposal, is unacceptable - this would mean almost one in a hundred mouthfuls could be GM. We are strongly opposed to GMOs in food and assert the right of people to choose genuinely non-GM organic food. GM contamination of non-GM foods is no more socially acceptable than passive smoking is to many people.
Any contamination over the limit of detection (0.1%) is unacceptable. We condemn the weak line the European Commission is taking on this issue. The GM industry and Government who have allowed GMOs should be controlling GM contamination, not trying to change the law to force the organic sector to accept the problems of the GM industry. The current policy is not in the public interest. The Government and European Commission should be doing everything in their power, legally and practically, to prevent organic food and farming being contaminated. If GM crops cannot be properly controlled, then they should not be allowed.
There should not be any threshold specified in the regulation and instead the use of all GMOs should continue to be prohibited, and this should be implemented in line with the normal process approach of organic farming standards and certification. The Commission should therefore abandon this proposal, and instead introduce GM contamination controls for GM farmers and seeds to keep contamination in non-GM crops below the practical limit of detection, ie. 0.1%. This means a strict GM co-existence and liability regime that protects the organic sector from all contamination and limits GM contamination of seed (all seed) to 0.1%. (Farmers' Weekly - 27/1/06)
Three MP's are demanding a boycott of Cadbury chocolate because the company is buying in French sugar on a trial basis. Cadbury are the company that owns Green & Black's. The MPs are disappointed that the British company are not supporting British producers. One MP says, "Someone should stand up for British farmers and agriculture." (BBC Radio 4)
An apple a day could keep memory loss at bay because they contain high levels of antioxidants. And organic vegetables have even higher levels (between 10% and 50%) of secondary nutrients including antioxidants, which help to mop up harmful free radicals implicated in cancer. Dr Thomas B Shea, of the University of Massachusetts, says, "The study suggests that eating and drinking apples and apple juice, in conjunction with a balanced diet, can protect the brain from the effects of oxidative stress � cell damage that contributes to memory loss." (Daily Mail � 25/1/06)