Frankenfoods Resistance
Remains Strong in UK

UK village takes on government over gene crop test
Reuters
UK: May 3, 2002

LONDON - The people of a village in southeast England flexed their muscles
against the British government this week with a vote rejecting plans for a
trial of genetically modified maize in their backyard.

As thousands filed into London for May Day protests over wider political
concerns, a poll held by Weeley parish council in the county of Essex
resulted in 95 percent of votes being cast against the test site planned by
the government.

The proposed test is part of the final year of government trials aimed at
measuring the environmental impact of planting genetically modified (GM)
crops.

Anti-GM campaigners in the village, backed by environmental group Friends of
the Earth, said they would write to Britain's environment minister Michael
Meacher to demand that the site, announced by him in March, be withdrawn.

Friends of the Earth said 1,300 ballot papers had been issued for the poll
and the turnout had been 40 percent.

"We are delighted with the high turnout in this ballot. The Government has
said it will consult the public on the future of GM and people in Weeley
have made their feelings very clear," said Lynne Priest, a campaigner who
lives near the proposed test site.

Public opinion in Europe, bruised by food safety scares over mad cow disease
and the chemical dioxin in recent years, is wary about GM foods and there is
a three year de-facto ban in place in Europe on approvals of new gene
spliced varieties.

Britain has been under steady pressure from environmental groups,
particularly over the distances between gene crops and other varieties, due
to fears of cross-contamination.

The government's independent biotechnology advisers, the Agriculture and
Environment Biotechnology Commission, has called for a public debate on the
possible commercialisation of gene-spliced crops.

The chairman of the watchdog, Malcolm Grant, warned last month that there
was potential for conflict in rural communities if the decision on
commercial planting is mishandled.

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE