www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

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, February 2007 by Anthony Fletcher.

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.

[www.nutraingredients.com]