Stuart Murray: Genetically Modified Food

This is the text of the talk from Stuart Murray taken directly from the Deane-Cum-Heaton Labour Party's Branch minutes.

  How Did it Start?

Stuart began by saying that the discussion about food in general had come about because of the BSE scare. In fact, the only growth area in Bolton MBC, apart from in Education, has been that two new Food Inspectors have been appointed.

There is concern about the way in which the big supermarkets are trying to control the food chain from the fields to the points of sale. Food deserts are springing up in some areas. In one area of Bolton where there are a lot of small shops, the only place selling fresh fruit and vegetables is the large supermarket.

The local authority, prompted by a small number of councillors, wrote to all the local supermarkets and asked them about their policy towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They received a very anodyne response from many, no reply from others with only one, Iceland, being up front and declaring a ban on foods containing GMOs. The Council has welcomed this reaction.

The debate on GMOs has intensified over the last few years. However, we must not be completely condemnatory, as there are possible benefits from genetic modification. But, on balance at the moment, we should adopt a very cautious approach.

  The Dangers

Some of the processes developed over the last few years are rather worrying. For example it has been possible to take genes from cold water fish and transplant them into strawberries to give cold-resistant fruit. Peanut genes have been proposed for transplant and this could represent terrible dangers for nut allergic people.

Monsanto has provided the most well known example of genetically modified crops. They have produced Soya plants that are resistant to their own herbicide, thus allowing farmers to spray their crops willy-nilly and avoid weeds. However, the farmer then has to buy both the seed and the herbicide from Monsanto and the question of chemical residues in the resulting foods is very worrying. In addition, this form of agriculture may be okay on the huge American prairies but for our "small field" system of farming it is wholly inappropriate.

It has been said that genetic engineering will solve the world’s food shortages. However, some processes introduce genes that do increase yields dramatically but also produce sterile seeds. Therefore the farmers in poor countries would have to buy new, expensive seed year after year.

In 1996 2.5 million Ha of genetically modified crops were planted and, by 1997 this had risen to 12 million Ha.

At this rate of increase, within 10 years virtually all the world’s staple crops could be produced from transgenic species and that is very worrying.

The Government is getting concerned and there has been a flurry of activity on labelling of foods containing GMOs. The producers say that it can’t be done but it can but it’s worth bearing in mind that 60% of the processed foods we now eat may contain at least some GMOs.

More than1,200 genetic modification processes have been licensed and sometimes they are not as advantageous as the producers claim. It only needs one or two to go wrong to cause a catastrophe.

Direct action against genetic modification is taking place, e.g. the pulling up of crops in some areas where genetically modified plants are being grown.

  What's to be Done?

Michael Meacher wants to introduce a moratorium on further introduction of genetically modified crops in the UK but there is a split in the Government on this. Locally, the most likely GM crop to get a license in the near future will be oil seed rape. But this is a crop that readily "escapes" and has become wild. Therefore there’s a good possibility of escaped genetically modified rape cross-pollinating with wild species to produce herbicide resistant weeds requiring stronger and stronger weed killers.

Stuart suggested the following: -

      Local Registers of GMO test sites.

      Local Authorities to become statutory consultees.

      Consultation with residents within 800m of proposed trial sites.

      Local Authorities to take a lead by sourcing school meals, meals on wheels, catering at leisure centres, etc. from non-GM sources as Parliament has decided for itself.

      Consultation with local wildlife groups

He said that we should urge the Government to declare a moratorium on further developments in genetically modified food crops until a thorough review of the risks and benefits has been undertaken. He applauded the actions of several commercial organisations such as Heinz, British Sugar, Safeway and Sainsbury who have declared themselves in favour of labelling of foods containing GMOs but thought that they were often taking this stance to protect their own interests.

He ended by declaring that there is a great need for caution.

  What We Thought

There then followed a discussion.

John:	"There are arguments in favour of genetic engineering but he deplored the overuse of pesticides that could occur if the Monsanto "Roundup" example is followed by other companies should be deplored."
George:	"Genetically modified crops are the best advert yet for organic foods. Nature has been genetically modifying our foods for millions of years. Now scientists are trying to do it in months or a few years."
Stuart:	"The proposed Food Standards Agency would be a useful safeguard as long as its not allowed to become dominated by the farming and food production industries."
Graham:	"The driving forces behind the introduction of GMOs are the large, mainly US, chemical giants who seem to wield too much power and it’s not clear what countervailing powers national governments or even the EU have. The World Trade Organisation seems to be in the hands of the huge vested interests."
Stuart:	"Those who have been trying to put the brakes on GM foods coming from the US have been threatened with a trade war if our markets are not opened up. However, we can and should argue that the health implications of genetic modification of our food haven’t yet been properly addressed and that can and should be used as a reason for stopping imports or at least insisting on proper labelling."
John:	"Consumer pressure will be the most effective brake."
Stuart:	"British Sugar have said that they will source their raw materials only from non-GM crops but it has been speculated that this is because they might believe Coca-Cola could decree in future that they will use only sugar from non-GM crops."
George:	"Genetic modification won’t solve the world’s food problems. It’s all about gigantic corporations making more money."

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