You can write direct to your MP if you like - Jean Corston MP, PO Box 1105,
Bristol BS99 2DP. Fax is 0117 939 9902 or email corstonj@....

Lois
>-- Original Message --
>To: easton_bristol@...
>From: "Sadika Perera" <godamncat@...>
>Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2004 09:52:04 +0100
>Subject: [easton_bristol] FW: REALFOOD: Real Food News September 2004
>Reply-To: easton_bristol@...
>
>
>
>Here is something the BCC is not involved in. But it is in me mind that
us
>
>who is affected init?
>SP
>
>>From: owner-realfood@...
>>To: realfood@...
>>Subject: REALFOOD: Real Food News September 2004
>>Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 12:40:05 +0100 (BST)
>>
>>Real Food News September 2004
>>
>>In a nutshell
>>
>>European member states again gave the thumbs down for a GM approval,
>>failing to support a proposal to import a controversial GM maize (see
20
>
>>September 2004). But earlier in the month the European Commission decided
>
>>to add 17 GM maize varieties to the 'European Common Catalogue', making
>
>>them available to any farmers in the EU that wish to grow them (see 6
and
>8
>>September 2004). However, they are unlikely to be grown in the UK as
they
>
>>are modified to be resistant to insects that are not a particular problem
>
>>in Britain. Such crops would also be extremely unpopular: a new survey
>by
>>the Consumer Association demonstrated that opposition to GM crops and
food
>
>>in the UK has increased further over the last two years (see 2 September
>
>>2004).
>>
>>Ask your MP to support new laws to prevent GM contamination at:
>>http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/real_food/press_for_change/gm_bill/index.html
>>
>>Pesticide residues are still causing problems in lettuces and farmed fish,
>
>>according to the latest Government results (see 15 September 2004). One
>
>>lettuce sample from Spain was found to contain a pesticide at levels 13.7
>
>>times higher than the safety limit for 4-6 year olds, and farmed fish

>>contained a variety of persistent chemicals.
>>
>>Ask your MP to help reduce children's exposure to pesticides at
>>http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/real_food/press_for_change/mp/index.html
>>
>>Thank you for your support and help with our campaigns
>>
>>Liz Wright
>>Real Food & Farming Campaign Assistant
>>______________________________________
>>
>>20 September 2004
>>
>>Europe halts controversial GM maize
>>
>>European member states today failed to support a proposal by the European
>
>>Commission to import a controversial genetically modified (GM) maize.
The
>
>>maize, made by US biotech giant Monsanto, failed to get the required
>>qualified majority from representatives of the member states in an
>>indicative vote.
>>
>>The maize, which has been genetically modified to resist certain insects
>by
>>producing a toxin in the plant, has been heavily criticised by scientists
>
>>from a number of countries, particularly France. The French Commission
for
>
>>Genetic Engineering (CGB) was alarmed by the results of a feeding study
>of
>>the GM maize on rats. This showed significantly different levels of white
>
>>blood cells, kidney weights and kidney structure, as well as lower
>>albumin/globulin rates in the rats fed the GM maize. The Director of the
>
>>French national research body, INRA, who is a member of CGB, stated, "I
>
>>hear the argument of natural variability, but what struck me in this file
>
>>is the number of anomalies. There are too many elements here where
>>significant variations are observed. I never saw that in another file."
>
>>The confidential minutes of the CGB meeting (in French) are available
from
>
>>Friends of the Earth.
>>
>>Last Thursday an alliance of environmental, farming and civil society

>>organisations wrote to the European Union's executive Commission accusing
>
>>them of "caving in" to pressure by the United States and the World Trade
>
>>Organisation (WTO), to accept GM foods. The United States, Canada and

>>Argentina started proceedings last year in the WTO over Europe's position
>
>>on GM foods.
>>
>>Today's indicative vote by a European regulatory committee is the eighth
>
>>failed attempt by the Commission to win support for a GM product. The

>>Commission must now decide whether to send the Monsanto application to
a
>
>>vote by Ministers. If there is no agreement from Ministers the Commission
>
>>will make a decision itself. In May this year the Commission approved
a
>GM
>>maize even though there was insufficient support from member states.
>>
>>"The European Commission seems determined to force genetically modified
>
>>foods down consumers' throats even when there are serious questions marks
>
>>about their long term safety", said Friends of the Earth Europe GM
>>campaigner Adrian Bebb. "Their actions are undemocratic. People in Europe
>
>>have made it consistently clear that they do not want to eat genetically
>
>>foods. It's time the Commission listened and took action to keep Europe
>
>>GM-free".
>>______________________________________
>>
>>15 September 2004
>>
>>Lettuces found to exceed pesticide safety limits
>>
>>The latest Government pesticide results have revealed continuing problems
>
>>with pesticide residues in lettuces. Farmed fish were also found to contain
>
>>almost uniform contamination with persistent pesticides such as DDT.
>>
>>A UK lettuce sample was found to contain inorganic bromide at 5.4 times
>the
>>safety limit for 4-6 year olds. Inorganic bromide is formed by using methyl
>
>>bromide - a chemical that destroys the ozone layer, and is due to be phased
>
>>out for most uses in the developed world by 2005. However, the UK has

>>requested exemptions for some crops where it is claimed there are no
>>suitable alternatives. The European Commission recently sent a warning
to
>
>>nine countries, including the UK, which have failed to inform the
>>Commission about action to limit the use of methyl bromide.
>>
>>Another lettuce sample from Spain was found to contain two pesticides
above
>
>>legal limits. One of these was methamidophos, which was found to be 13.7
>
>>times higher than the safety limit for 4-6 year olds. Adverse effects

>>include sweating, excess saliva production or stomach upsets. The Food

>>Standards Agency was informed about this exceedence due to the high level
>
>>found.
>>
>>Pre-packed salads also contained a range of pesticides - one sample from
>
>>Asda contained six different pesticides, including acephate, cypermethrin,
>
>>iprodione and procymidone, possible carcinogens, and methamidophos, a

>>highly toxic insecticide. Other pre-packed salad samples were found to

>>contain vinclozolin - a hormone-disrupting chemical.
>>
>>Farmed fish, including trout and salmon, were found to contain a range
of
>
>>persistent chemicals - all samples except one were found to contain DDT
>- a
>>persistent pollutant that can accumulate in fatty tissues. DDT has not
been
>
>>used in the UK since the early 1980s, but it is such a persistent chemical
>
>>that it is still found in meat and fish with high fat/oil content.
>>
>>A sample of Heinz baby food was also found to contain a pesticide residue
>
>>above legal levels.
>>
>>"Consumers will be alarmed by these latest findings", said Friends of
the
>
>>Earth Pesticide Campaigner Liz Wright. "The Government must take action
>to
>>ensure healthy foods such as salads do not contain cocktails of pesticides
>
>>and ensure that safety limits are not breached. There should be no delay
>in
>>helping growers find alternatives to risky chemicals such as methyl bromide
>
>>as soon as possible."
>>______________________________________
>>
>>8 September 2004
>>
>>UK farmers to grow GM maize?
>>
>>Friends of the Earth has condemned today's decision by the European
>>Commission to allow farmers across Europe to commercially grow 17 different
>
>>varieties of a GM maize. The environmental campaign group is calling on
>the
>>UK Government to take steps to prevent farmers growing the crops in
>>Britain.
>>
>>At today's meeting the outgoing European Commission decided to add the
GM
>
>>maize varieties to Europe's Common Catalogue of seeds. These are the first
>
>>GM seeds to be added to the catalogue, making them commercially available
>
>>to farmers across Europe. Although the GM maize varieties are unlikely
to
>
>>be attractive to UK farmers, because the crops are modified to be resistant
>
>>to insects that are not a particular problem in Britain, there is nothing
>
>>to stop farmers in Britain growing them. This is why the Government must
>
>>take steps to ensure it cannot be grown here.
>>
>>Friends of the Earth is opposed to the GM maize being commercially grown
>
>>because
>>
>> - of the threat posed to our food, farming and environment. Last week
>a
>>new survey by Which magazine showed that public opposition to GM food
and
>
>>crops has grown with 61 per cent concerned about the use of GM in food

>>production.
>>
>> - the UK does not have any rules on `coexistence' (between GM and
>>conventional crops) or liability. The Government has only just started
its
>
>>consultation process and will not have rules in place in time for the
2005
>
>>growing season.
>>
>> - Even if the crop is not grown in the UK, we import from Europe much
>of
>>the maize destined for our food - this will now be at greater risk from
>GM
>>contamination.
>>
>>"This European decision is a recipe for disaster", said Friends of the

>>Earth GM-free Britain Campaigner Clare Oxborrow. "The majority of British
>
>>consumers do not want GM food or crops, especially as there are no rules
>in
>>place to prevent GM contamination. The UK Government must act now to
>>protect our food, farming and environment and prevent this GM maize from
>
>>being grown here."
>>
>>The European Commission also postponed from its agenda a decision on
>>proposals to legalise the widespread GM contamination of conventional

>>seeds.
>>______________________________________
>>
>>6 September 2004
>>
>>EU to allow GM crops through back door
>>
>>Friends of the Earth is calling on the European Commission to halt
>>proposals that would allow farmers to commercially grow up to 17 different
>
>>types of genetically modified (GM) maize seeds in fields across the whole
>
>>of Europe. The Commission, which is meeting in Brussels on WEDNESDAY 8

>>SEPTEMBER, also wants to legalise the widespread GM contamination of
>>conventional crops.
>>
>>Friends of the Earth, Europe's largest grassroots environmental network,
>
>>believes the proposals will threaten Europe's food and farming and take
>
>>away consumers right to avoid GM food.
>>
>>At Wednesday's meeting the outgoing European Commission is expected to

>>decide whether to allow:
>>
>> - The commercial growing of 17 different varieties of genetically
>>modified (GM) maize The Commission proposes to add 17 varieties of a GM
>
>>maize made by Monsanto to Europe's Common Catalogue of seeds. This would
>be
>>the first time that a GM seed has been added to the common catalogue and
>
>>would make the seeds commercially available to farmers across the whole
>EU.
>>Only one country - Denmark - has so far put in place "co-existence"
>>measures aimed at preventing the uncontrolled spread of GM in the food

>>chain and the environment. Without coexistence rules the widespread
>>contamination of conventional crops is highly likely, posing a massive

>>threat to Europe's food, farming and environment.
>>
>> - The contamination of conventional oilseed rape and maize seeds with
>GM
>>varieties. The EC is also proposing that GM-contaminated seed will only
>
>>have to be labelled if it exceeds a 0.3 per cent threshold. Such a move
>
>>could see thousands of GM oilseed rape seeds being planted per hectare

>>without the farmer knowing. Official wildlife experts in the UK have said
>
>>that these contamination levels "could result in adverse impacts on
>>farmland biodiversity".
>>
>>"These proposals by the European Commission are a recipe for disaster",
>
>>said Friends of the Earth Europe GM Campaign Co-ordinator Geert Ritsema.
>
>>"Allowing the widespread growing of GM crops before countries have had
the
>
>>chance to put measures in place to protect consumers and the environment
>is
>>a reckless move that could lead to the widespread contamination of Europe's
>
>>food, farming and environment and take away people's ability to avoid
GM.
>
>>These ill-judged plans must be abandoned."
>>
>>The Commission's plan to allow GM-contaminated seed contradicts a
>>resolution adopted by the European Parliament in December 2003. The
>>Parliament called on the Commission and Member States "not to proceed
with
>
>>the approval of the release of any further genetically modified varieties
>
>>of plants until such time as binding rules on coexistence, backed up by
>a
>>system of liability based firmly on the 'polluter pays' principle, have
>
>>been agreed and implemented."
>>
>>If the Commission pushes ahead with its plans, Friends of the Earth will
>
>>call on the EU Member States to impose national bans on the registered

>>seeds. According to a leaked Communication from Commissioner David Byrne
>
>>"any Member State may object to the marketing on their territory of any
>
>>such GM variety if they consider there is a risk for human health, the

>>environment or agronomic reasons."
>>______________________________________
>>
>>2 September 2004
>>
>>GM opposition grows - new survey
>>
>>Friends of the Earth has welcomed a new survey published today which shows
>
>>that public opposition to GM food and crops has grown since 2002. The
mood
>
>>contrasts sharply with UK Government views, with Ministers currently
>>considering plans to allow widespread GM contamination of non-GM crops.
>>
>>The UK Government is currently consulting on plans to allow significant
>
>>levels of GM contamination of non-GM crops. The consultation on
>>`coexistence' (between conventional and GM crops), is the latest stage
in
>a
>>process that would allow GM crops to be commercially grown in the UK.

>>Despite consumer opposition to GM, the Government has refused to broaden
>
>>the consultation to look at what measures (such as separation distances)
>
>>would be needed to ensure that crops and food are kept completely GM free.
>>
>>"Public opposition to GM food and crops is growing, yet the Government
is
>
>>planning to allow widespread GM contamination of non-GM crops", said
>>Friends of the Earth GM Campaigner Clare Oxborrow. "If this happens people
>
>>will find it increasingly difficult to avoid GM food. The Government must
>
>>listen to the public and introduce tough new rules to keep our food,
>>farming and environment GM-free."
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/food_and_biotechnology
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