Organic food and GM farming - really long, v sorry!!

[CorrieDale]

I know this is a little off-topic, but if you are keen to give your baby organic adn non-GM foods then you might like to know that the European Union proposes to amend the regulation that protects the United Kingdom's organic farming and food in order to allow routine contamination of organic products with up to 0.9% GM, with no need to label the product as containing GM.

How crap is this????? I have written to my MP about this and thought that others might want to do the same. I would be perfectly happy to let people have the text of my (not brilliant but better than nothing) letter to use as a starting point....

If you do want to write to your MP, can you end it with "I should be grateful if you would pass on my concerns to the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, and let me know what she says." This will make sure that the protest gets to the person who needs to hear about it.

You might also want to ask them to sign the all-party Early Day Motion (EDM) number 1599 put forward by Labour MP Alan Simpson, Conservative Shadow Environment Minister Peter Ainsworth and LibDem spokesman Norman Baker. The text of the motion is:

GM CONTAMINATION OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS 07.02.2006
That this House notes the proposal by the European Commission to revise the EU Organic Regulation and impose on organic products a threshold of 0.9 per cent. for contamination by genetically modified (GM) organisms; further notes the expansion of organic farming in the last decade and its positive contribution to the farming economy and the environment; further notes the wishes of the majority of European consumers to avoid any GM content in food; recognises that most organic certification bodies operate to the practical detection limit of 0.1 per cent.; is concerned that the imposition of a GM threshold for organic food above the detectable level will damage the reputation of organic produce and lead to increasing GM contamination over time; and calls upon the Secretary of State to support non-GM food production and farmer and consumer choice by opposing the use of a 0.9 per cent. threshold as a reference in co-existence measures or in the EU Organic Regulation, ensuring that strict liability rules put the cost of GM contamination on the polluters and not on taxpayers or the non-GM sector, recognising the importance of independent organic certification and the need to protect this system by ensuring that organic means no GMOs, and ensuring that the threshold for all non-GM seed is set at the practical limit of detection.

[P0SSUM]

well done you. i'd be interested in your text, can you post it on the thread? or would you rather not?

[Filyjonk]

ta corriedale, will try to do this.

[CorrieDale]

Bother, I've lost the email (sorry, I did it through the 'email your MP' thing from the locataMP website). Sorry, really unhelpful I know. I think I just outlined that I buy organic and non-GM because I want to keep the food-related health risks to my family to a minimum, and that this proposal would scupper that.

[CorrieDale]

Text for both emails:

1)I am deeply concerned that the European Union proposes to amend the
regulation that protects the United Kingdom's organic farming and food in
order to allow routine contamination of organic products with up to
0.9% GM, with no need to label the product as containing GM.

I am simply appalled by this proposal. I regularly buy organic food
for my family, including my 8 month old baby. I actively check labels
for, inter alia, GM information and am perfectly willing to pay slightly
more for in order to ensure that my family eats food that will not, to
the best of my knowledge, cause them any long-term health benefits in
the future. If this proposal becomes effective then, frankly, what is
the point of my continuing this scrutiny?

I am also unhappy to see that the proposal will obscure the local
origins of organic food, by imposing one generic EU logo. I buy local food
where possible, or at least food that has travelled the shortest
distance, since I am aware that fuel is generally non-renewable. I would
like to be able to continue to do this with all food, including that grown
organically.

I should be grateful if you would pass on my concerns to the EU
Agriculture Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, and let me know what she says.



2) I have already written to you outlining my concerns over the European
Union's proposal to amend the regulation that protects the United
Kingdom's organic farming and food in order to allow routine contamination of
organic products with up to 0.9% GM, with no need to label the product
as containing GM.

I note that an Early Day Motion (Number 1599) has been proposed by your
colleague Peter Ainsworth, Labour MP Alan Simpson, and LibDem spokesman
Norman Baker. The EDM shows support for keeping organic food GM-free.
I should be most grateful if you would sign the same.