Press  Release

Embargo: 7am, Monday21 October 2006







GM-FREE BORSETSHIRE CAMPAIGN 



PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

10:30am, Monday 21 October, outside [Borsetshire County Hall]

GM campaigners from [Ambridge Friends of the Earth] will be outside the [County 

Hall] etc etc…



[Ambridge Friends of the Earth] today called on [Borsetshire County Council] to make 

[Borsetshire] a GM-free county. The campaign is part of a national initiative. Scores of local 

authorities will be targeted over the coming weeks and months by local groups across the 

country as part of Friends of the Earth’s GM-Free Britain campaign.

 

The GM-Free Britain campaign comes at a crucial time in the GM debate.  Over the next year 

or so the Government will decide whether to allow GM crops to be commercially grown across 

the UK. If it does it would lead to widespread GM contamination of our food, crops and 

environment, and remove peoples’ right to say no to GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).



[Borsetshire County Council] can declare [Borsetshire] a GM-Free zone. GM-free areas 

have already been declared in parts of Austria, Germany and the whole of Wales. And under 

new EU legislation [1] the Government can designate areas where GM crops cannot be grown if 

requested by a local authority.



[Ambridge Friends of the Earth] wants [Borsetshire County Council] to declare the county a 

GM-Free zone [2], and take the following action; 



*	ensure that no GM crops are grown on land over which Borsetshire County Council 

has control; 



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

example, ensuring that school caters provide GM-free food;



*	write to the Government asking them not to allow any more GM crops to be grown in the 

county.





[Tom Archer], GM Campaigner for [Ambridge Friend of the Earth] said:



“This is a crucial time in the GM debate; it’s now or never. The Government will shortly decide 

whether to allow GM crops to be commercially grown in the UK. If it does it will lead to 

widespread contamination of crops, food and the environment. If that happens, people will no 

longer be able to say no to GMOs. We want [Borsetshire County Council] to make a stand 

against GM crops and food by declaring [Borsetshire] a GM-free zone.”



Recent opinion polls have shown that most people are opposed to GM crops and food.  A 

survey in last month’s Grocer (20 September) found that 58% would avoid products containing 

GM ingredients. And an NOP poll for Friends of the Earth, published on the same day, revealed 

that 63 per cent of people that regularly bought honey wanted it to be GM-free.



A background briefing on the GM-Free Britain campaign is [attached/enclosed 

/available on request].



More information on Friends of the Earth’s GM-Free Britain campaign can be found online 

at: www.GMFreeBritain.com 



Notes



[1] 	Article 19 of EU Deliberate Release Directive (2001/18)



[2]	A draft resolution for [Borsetshire County Council] to declare itself a GM-free area 

is available from [Ambridge Friends of the Earth].







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Contact:	Tom Archer	01234 567890 (t)/ 07777 777 777 (mobile)

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