By William Surman

The English Government has been accused of being out of touch with its
consumers.
Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett said English politicians
were pushing GM technology despite 'very little' consumer support.

He said France, Germany, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were
committed to GM-free policies and urged similar action from England.

?It is just the strongly pro-GM English Government that looks
increasingly out of touch with what consumers really want,? he said.

Mr Melchett spoke at the launch of a Soil Association study that claims
the traditionally supportive American public are turning away from GM
food.

?The more that US consumers find out about GM food, the less they want
to buy it?, said Mr Melcehtt, adding that the global tide may finally be
turning against the technology.

The Soil Association study claims US consumers, farmers and politicians
are losing their enthusiasm for GM crops as they learn about the
technology.

It cites the 'staggering collapse' in the market for Monsanto?s GM milk
hormone as one example of how consumers are changing their buying
habits.

Currently, US law does not require food manufacturers to label food as
GM yet 87 per cent of Americans want to add GM labelling and 53 per cent
would not eat GM food if it was labelled as such, says the study.

A dent in American?s GM support represents a significant vote of no
confidence in the technology, said Mr Melchett

www.checkbiotech.org