SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY OR COUNCILLOR



[Tailor your letter depending on the type of area you are campaigning from.  If you’re in a large urban 

centre, you may need to talk about your ‘area’ and ‘Britain’ rather than your county]





Dear



We are writing to ask [Borsetshire County Council] to adopt a policy to become GM-free.



We feel that this is a prudent policy at present because of the uncertainties still surrounding GM (genetically 

modified) crops and food.  Several crops are close to being given full commercial approval at present — fodder 

maize, oilseed rape and beet.



As well as considerable scientific doubt about the long-term safety of GM food and feed and methods used to 

assess it, there is a growing body of evidence from North America which demonstrates the environmental and 

economic problems of growing GM crops commercially.  At present there is no liability legislation to ensure that 

any harm caused by GM crops, food and feed is born by the companies marketing the genetically modified 

organism (GMO).  Instead liability is likely to fall to those producing or providing the GMO — farmers, food 

businesses and other service providers.



The enclosed booklet sets out our concerns and explains why it makes sound economic sense to keep the county 

free of GM crops at present (a set of 12 more detailed briefings covering key arguments is available on request).  

The levels of contamination of crops through cross pollination and mixing after harvest have already caused 

serious economic damage in the US and Canada.  In a small [county like Borsetshire/country like Britain], we 

are certain that there will be similar effects.  These could have a serious impact on the [image of Borsetshire 

and the food produced here and/or a serious impact on the ability of the council to source GM-free food 

for its catering services].  It would also threaten the choice of local citizens who want to buy food free from 

GM.  We therefore urge the [County Council] to give full consideration to the proposal to declare [Borsetshire] 

GM-free and specifically adopt the following polices:



*	request the Secretary of State for agriculture to provide legal protection for this county/district/parish 

as a GM-free area, in line with Article 19 of 2001/18/EC

*	ensure that no GM crops are grown on land over which it has control 

*	adopt a GM-free policy for all goods and services for which this council is responsible. 



By writing to the Government with this request that the [county] be provided with legal protection as a GM-Free 

area, the council will be doing all in their power to ensure that [Borsetshire’s food and farming economy can 

continue to develop free from the problems caused by the widespread growing of GM crops and/or ensure 

that the council’s food purchasing can be free of GM contamination].  The National Assembly for Wales 

debated and voted on this issue in 2000 and declared unanimously that Wales should be GM-free and should 

develop a food and farming economy based on sustainable principles.



We would be delighted to meet with your officials to discuss this important matter in more detail. 



We look forward to hearing from you.



Yours sincerely,





Eddie Grundy

GM-Free [Borsetshire] Campaigner





Enc	Now or Never Booklet

       GM-Free Britain sticker