MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY FRIENDS OF THE
EARTH (R11)
Friends of the Earth (FOE) exists to protect
and improve the conditions for life on Earth, now and for the
future.
Friends of the Earth is one of the largest international
environmental networks in the world, with over 50 groups across
five continents:
— one of the UK's most influential
national environmental pressure groups; and
— a unique network of campaigning local
groups, working in 225 communities throughout England, Wales and
Northern Ireland.
Friends of the Earth have been campaigning about
food and agriculture since the early 1980s. The current Real Food
Campaign was launched in May 1997 following increasing concern
over the rapid introduction of genetically modified food and crops
into the UK. We are supporting the Five Year Freeze Campaign which
is calling for a minimum five year moratorium for:
(1) the growing of genetically engineered
crops for any commercial purpose;
(2) imports of genetically engineered foods
and farm crops;
(3) the patenting of genetic resources for
food and farm crops.
During the Five Year Freeze the following must
be developed:
— A system which allows people to exercise
their right to choose products free of genetic engineering;
— Public involvement in decisions on
the need for and the regulation of genetic engineering;
— Prevention of genetic pollution of
the environment;
— Strict legal liability for adverse
effects on people or the environment from the release and marketing
of genetically modified organisms;
— Independent assessment of the implications
of patenting genetic resources;
— Independent assessment of the social
and economic impact of genetic engineering on farmers.
Friends of the Earth has the following comments
relevant to this enquiry:
— Segregation of GM foods is essential
for the establishment of a reliable labelling system in which
the public have confidence;
— To achieve this it is necessary to
put into place a comprehensive auditing system throughout the
supply chain. In addition, isolation distances between GM and
non GM crops must be large enough to ensure the integrity of non
GM crops;
— The costs of the introduction of
GM foodstuffs must fall upon the industry which wants to introduce
them and which stands to benefit;
— At present, the burden of the costs
associated with ensuring that the public has the choice of whether
or not to buy GM products has fallen upon the UK and EU food industry.
This means that in the end the cost of introducing GM foods will
fall upon customers, who do not want them anyway;
— In order to ensure that the cost
burden is correctly assigned, a levy on the biotechnology industry
should be introduced. This could then be used to fund the segregation
and auditing of GM foods. Auditing should include products derived
from GM crops, such as vegetable oil and soya lecithin, to ensure
choice for people who wish to avoid all such products for whatever
reason;
— The current proposal from the EU
of a 1 per cent threshold for GM contamination is not sufficient
to provide surety for those wishing to avoid GM ingredients. The
major retail organisations already work to a lower threshold than
this, and its introduction would therefore lead to a weakening
of the current standards of integrity for non GM produce. We strongly
urge the Committee to discuss what is achievable in terms of a
threshold with UK retailers who are currently investigating and
establishing GM-free supply chains for soya and maize products.
Friends of the Earth believes that the introduction
of GM technology into the food chain represents a very significant
change in the quality of food on offer in the UK. The response
of all major food retailers and most major food manufacturers
to public concern has been to withdraw GM ingredients from their
lines. This has provided an opportunity for reassessing if and
how GM foods may be introduced into the UK. The US biotech and
agricultural industries are currently receiving a hard lesson
in market forces and they would do well to remember that the basis
of trade is to provide people with what they want rather than
what they don't want. The current state of the market offers the
chance for the UK government to adopt a strong position on segregation
within the EU and subsequently at any World Trade Organisation
negotiations. This is necessary to ensure that the choice of GM-free
(based on a threshold that can be enforced) is maintained in perpetuity,
whatever the final market share achieved by GM crops.
7 October 1999
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