The report also suggests telling the public about ‘possibly beneficial impacts’ of GMOs, yet fails to talk about the fact that biotech seeds which would be planted would require heavier levels of Monsanto’s RoundUp, as well as other herbicides, in order to successfully grow. The report also does not discuss the impacts of organic farming throughout England, which are great.
The Soil Association points out where the UK contradicts itself, stating that:
“In non-organic farming around 31,000 tonnes of chemicals are used in the UK each year to kill weeds, insects and other pests that attack crops. Organic farming uses mainly natural methods, developing good soil and healthy crops which have a strong natural resistance to pests and disease. The UK government has said that organic farming is better for wildlife, causes lower pollution from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide and fewer dangerous wastes.”Dr Helen Wallace, Director of GeneWatch UK, said:
“RoundUp Ready GM crops are the crops which could be grown in England perhaps as early as next year. Blanket spraying of these crops with weedkiller would lead to massive loss of habitat for birds and butterflies and a plague of superweeds for farmers. The costs of segregating GM and non-GM would push up food prices for everyone, and non-GM farmers would lose out financially if their conventional or organic crops become contaminated”.Two of biotech’s biggest companies have their own GM maize ready to unleash on the UK market – Monsanto and Syngenta’s Roundup Ready GM Maize (NK603 and GA21) – have already had their ‘risk assessments’ completed and are awaiting finalization for release. Monsanto has stated that it would withdraw its request for approval in the EU for this crop, but they have failed to do so.
Bt crops which are also awaiting government approval are also not appropriate for growing in the UK. They have already been shown to have a high failure rate, and they cause damage to the environment which cannot be eradicated, often for decades. Birds, bees and butterflies have been damaged by biotech’s famous creations. Were they to be unleashed in the UK to the same degree they have in the US, we would likely see similar devastation of ecosystems and pollinating insects.
Furthermore, the UK government has no plans to prevent cross-contamination of GM crops and non-GM crops, which is a growing problem around the world.
http://naturalsociety.com/uk-committee-tells-government-gmo-crop-pushers/
