GM-FREE KENT CAMPAIGN

We decided that to maximise publicity we should prepare two seperate petitions, one for Shepway District Council and the other for Kent County Council.

MAKE KENT / SHEPWAY GM-FREE - THE PETITION:

We, the undersigned members of Friends of the Earth and other residents of Kent / Shepway concerned about the local environment, request the Council to approve the following resolution:

"This Council recognises that
•  genetic modification of crop plants is a relatively new branch of science and technology;
•  there is still scientific debate about the safety of GM crops;
•  the commercial growing of GM crops presents legal, economic, social and ethical problems that have not yet    been properly addressed;
  and declares that:
•  the County of Kent will be kept free of GM crops and GM food and feed.

"To that end, this Council commits to:
•  requesting the Secretary of State for agriculture to provide legal protection for this district as a GM-free area, in     line with Article 19 of 2001/18/EC
•  ensuring that no GM crops are grown on land over which it has control.
•  adopting a GM-free policy for all goods and services for which the Council is responsible."

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Cllr Stephen Cardale receives our petition on behalf of Shepway Disrict Council	Cllr Chris Capon receives our petition on behalf of Kent County Council

PRESS RELEASE:

LAST CHANCE FOR GM-FREE GARDEN OF ENGLAND

Members of Friends of the Earth from opposite ends of the county joined forces before the KCC meeting on Thursday 7 November to present a petition against GM crops to the Chairman. Representatives from Shepway and Gravesham FoE groups requested KCC to pass a resolution enabling the County to claim legal protection from the Government against further planting of trial crops.

In addition, they asked for assurance that there would be no planting of GM seeds on land for which the KCC is directly responsible, and an undertaking that all purchases of food and other commodities made by the KCC would be GM-free.

FoE is concerned that trials of GM crops have been proceeding locally in the face of large-scale public opposition, particularly in areas where organic produce is grown.

They fear that pollen from GM crops will be spread many miles by wind and the activity of bees and other insects to pollute and alter normal crops and perhaps produce genetically modified weeds which will be resistant to normal weed control measures. The resulting "clean-up" operation could well cost taxpayers considerable sums, and not be wholly successful.

At the KCC meeting, the Chairman passed the petition to Councillor Carter, portfolio holder for Education. The petition was ultimately passed onto Grahame Weston KCC cabinet member for strategic planning who sent us the following reply:

Dear Mr Botley
Petition - Make Kent GM-Free
Thank you very much for your petition to the County Council presented on 7 November 2002. It has been passed to me for reply.
Taking the points of your suggested resolution in turn
• We agree that this is a relatively new branch of science and technology.

• We agree there is still scientific debate about the safety of GM crops.

• We agree there are some problems that have not yet been fully addressed, in particular that the research is as yet incomplete.

• Agriculture crops grown in Kent and private purchasing are not within the controls and powers of the County Council, so we are in no position to ensure Kent will be kept GM free.

• We are content to write to the Secretary of State for Agriculture stating that we have received your petition.

• We do not believe that designation of GM-free area using *Article 19 of 2001/18/EC is a simple procedure. There appears to be no explicit reference in it in regard to parts of a member state being or becoming GM-free.

• We already have a policy prohibiting the use of GM foods in Kent schools supplied by our contractor. They have instructed their suppliers not to supply any foods, which contain such ingredients.

*Dr Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP has offered to help us and we have asked her to clarify article 19 with KCC