UK village takes on government over gene crop test
Date: 03-May-02
Country: UK
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would write to Britain's environment minister Michael Meacher to demand that the site, announced by him in March, be withdrawn.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.
