GM Freeze campaign

The GM Freeze campaign is supported by an alliance of national organisations in Great Britain who share the public's deep concern over the speed at which genetic engineering is being introduced into food and farming. The alliance encompasses a wide range of interests including environmental campaigns, trade unions, charities and religious groups like Friends of the Earth, The Gaia Foundation, Greenpeace UK, Planet Organic, Pro-Natural Food Scotland, The Soil Association and Wild Oats Wholefoods, for example. They are united by a belief that there is a need to stop and think about the huge implications of GM technology and the questions that remain to be answered about its safety and impact.

The campaign aims at a freeze on the growing of genetically modified plants and the production of genetically modified farm animals for any commercial purpose. It also demands to freeze imports of genetically modified foods, plants, farm crops and farm animals, and produce from genetically modified plants and animals. The patenting of genetic resources for food and farm crops should also be stopped.

GM Freeze has just welcomed the findings of the IAASTD and calls upon government, industry and scientists to respond by changing their approach to research and development in the global South. Commenting on the IAASTD’s findings, Pete Riley of GM Freeze said: “We welcome the report’s thorough analysis of the problems and the need to tackle them from social, economic and political perspectives as well as the sound application of science. We are delighted that the hyped claims about the current development in GM crops feeding the world are rejected. The research base has to be broadened to take up all the demands placed on farming in addition to producing food in a way that is safe and has no long-term negative impact on the environment. This represents a big culture change in the approach to science for agriculture and must happen quickly.”

www.gmfreeze.org