GMOs: the road is long

The controversy surrounding genetically modified foods hotted up this week as environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth (FOE) on Tuesday launched its GM-free Britain campaign, calling on local authorities to become GM-free zones.

Friends of the Earth in a statement this week stressed the findings of a survey in last month's food magazine Grocer​ (20 September) that revealed 58 per cent of consumers would avoid products containing GM ingredients. The group adds that an NOP poll for the FOE, published on the same day, revealed that 63 per cent of people that regularly bought honey wanted it to be GM-free.

Friends of the Earth is calling on local authorities to play a key role in keeping Britain free of GM crops and to promote sustainable food production.

According to the group, by declaring themselves a GM-free zone local authorities can ensure that no GM crops are grown on land which they control, and can adopt a GM-free policy for all goods and services for which the council is responsible - for example ensuring that school caterers provide GM-free food to schools.

Friends of the Earth GM campaigner Pete Riley said: "This is a crucial time in the GM debate. The UK government will soon decide whether to allow GM crops to be commercially grown in the UK. If it decides in favour, it will lead to widespread GM contamination of crops, food and the environment. If that happens, people will no longer be able to say no to GMOs.​

We're calling on local authorities to take action on this issue by becoming GM-free areas and to take action to stop GM crops in their area."​

With European environmental ministers meeting last week in Luxembourg - in a bid to make some headway on this sensitive issue - it is clear that a veritable plethora of interests will ensure that the road to firm decisions will be long and arduous.