Victory - as Government cancels Food Standards Agency’s pro GM debate
The FSA had planned to spend half a million pounds to fund a public engagement exercise about GM food which NGOs have widely condemned as biased. Two eminent Scientists, have already resigned from the project steering group, saying the process was a sham - rigged towards attempting to encourage the public to support GM food and in favour of GM industry.
Not mincing his words, the Soil Association Policy Director Peter Melchett’s said “The last Government tried persistently to pedal GM food to a sceptical public. It was outrageous that the FSA allowed themselves to be used to try and push GM food on the British people, and in doing so they once again departed from what is meant to be their role of defending the interests of consumers. The Government’s decision proves they are willing to let people decide what they eat, rather than trying to foist GM upon them.
There are two more things the Government should do. First, stop wasting public money on GM research – £20 million of tax payers money has gone into GM crop research since 1997 but not a single GM crop is being grown in this country. Second, the Government should tell the Food Standards Agency to take steps to remove the blanket of secrecy over the last hiding place of GM from our food system, by insisting that milk and other dairy products, and meat, that come from animals fed on GM food, are clearly labelled.”
At last somebody's listening, or is the government just cutting costs?
