WALES MOVING TOWARDS A CONTINUING BAN ON GM CROP CULTIVATION WALES Cymru THE LAND OF MY FATHERS Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
WELSH AGRICULTURE The question the people of Wales have had to answer is: 1.6 million hectares (around 77% of Wales' total land area) is used for agricultural production and an estimated 57,500 Are we willing to risk our rich family-based agricultural people are directly employed in the sector. history and also the hopes of a sustainable future, on a technology that has so many un-answered questions The average farm size is 30-40 hectares, small by UK surrounding it regarding both health and environmental standards, and dominated by family-run enterprises. (1) safety as well as likely negative economic impacts? The answer is simply - no.
REBECCA EVANS, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR FARMING AND FOOD IN THE WELSH GOVERNMENT RECENTLY STATED (2) “Should this demand not be met then we can adopt further measures to Following the “European Union (EU) decision that has allowed restrict or prohibit the GM crop cultivation. These further measures may Member States and Regions to make decisions on whether they wish include such things as environmental or agriculture policy, socio-economic to ban or cultivate genetically modified (GM) crops in their territories, impacts, public policy or the avoidance of GM contamination to other the Welsh Government will demand that the GM applicant limits the products. We have campaigned for several years to have socio-economic geographic scope of an EU GM crop authorization to exclude Wales. issues included as important factors in the consideration of GM crop approvals and I am pleased that these are now formally recognized. ”
The current approach of the welsh government and welsh NGOs is to work towards a continuing ban on GM cultivation based on compelling grounds within the new EU regulation FIVE POSSIBLE TARGETS ARE Environmental Agricultural Socio-economic Land-use Public policy policies policy objectives reasons
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Many parts of Wales are protected areas, according to a number of Wales will investigate possibilities regarding regional or local issues that have designations. They include three national parks, and five Areas of Outstanding not been fully taken into account as part of the risk assessment process for Natural Beauty (12) . From a practical point of view using buffer zones around the approval of GMOs (EFSA assessment). This investigation will be ongoing these protected areas and trying to organize coexistence measures in the and will react to new EU approvals if/when they happen. event that GMOs are allowed in Wales would be an administrative nightmare.
AGRICULTURAL POLICY OBJECTIVES LAND-USE Wales has made large investments in the organic sector and wants to safeguard the agricultural land in Wales that is managed under Wales is currently investigating some scope in the voluntary agri-environment schemes. context of land-use requirements where a GM Organic farming is an important part of the Welsh landscape. There are cultivation opt-out is based on nature conservation. over 1000 organic farms in Wales, ranging from smallholdings to large estates, and 8% of the total land area is managed organically. (3)(4)
SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS Socio-economic effects must refer to legitimate public interests that would need to be defined and must have evidence to support them. Wide-ranging opinion polls as well as more in-depth research into the economic impacts and health/environmental safety of GM crops by the Welsh government, can lead to socio-economic reasons being the main tool used to continue the ban on GM crop cultivation in the country. Welsh NGOs are particularly interested in the following reasons for maintaining the ban on GM cultivation
MARCH 2015: WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION’S CANCER AGENCY IARC A) EFFECTS ON THE HEALTH, SAFETY OF FARM FAMILIES AND LABOURERS DECLARED THAT GLYPHOSATE IS A PROBABLE HUMAN CARCINOGEN. (7) IARC: Glyphosate has been detected in the blood and urine of agricultural workers, indicating absorption and that there were increases in blood markers of Over 80% of GM crops worldwide are engineered to be grown with chromosomal damage (micronuclei) in residents of several communities after spraying of glyphosate formulations. glyphosate-based herbicides (5) . Massive increase of glyphosate use with GM Crops - USGS (6) . Need to protect farm families and laborers in Wales from probable increased levels of harm, caused by the inevitable increase in use of glyphosate-based herbicides with the commercial cultivation of glyphosate-tolerant GM crops.
B) SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES Brazil’s National Cancer Institute: The report says that national Massive increases in the use of glyphosate and other agrochemicals consumption of agrochemicals is equivalent to 5.2 litres of in two of the main GM crop cultivating countries (Brazil and U.S.A) is agrochemicals per year for each inhabitant. Agrochemical sales of great concern to Wales. increased from USD 2 billion in 2001 to 8.5 billion in 2011 (mainly due to introduction of GM crops). Data on GM crop related increases in pesticide use from the U.S. The sustainability of Welsh agriculture and our ‘clean and green’ Geological Survey (6) and last week from Brazil’s National Cancer market position can thus clearly be shown to be under threat from Institute must be studied in detail (8) . GM crop cultivation if the above data is taken into account.
C) RURAL ECONOMY AND CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE Farming and food processing industries remain the cornerstone of the Welsh rural economy. The Welsh emphasis is on competing on quality, strong branding and adding value through local processing. We, therefore, need to preserve consumer confidence and maintain our focus on a clean, green, natural environment. BY HAVING THE ABILITY TO CONTROL WHAT IS GROWN IN WALES WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN PRESERVING THESE VALUES.
D) SAFETY OF GM CROPS AND SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE Currently there is no scientific consensus on the safety of GM crops and their associated pesticides (9) . EFSA, in the eyes of Welsh observers, has failed properly to apply the Precautionary Principle in this area. The currently planned EU KBBE (10) rat feeding trial on GM Maize NK 603 is not comprehensive enough to answer the many safety questions that have been asked by EU consumer, farming and environmental groups regarding GM crops. The EU study will only be for carcinogenicity and will not include a multigenerational or focused toxicity component.
D) SAFETY OF GM CROPS AND SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE We applaud the currently planned independent study ‘Factor GMO’ (11) which according to initial reports will meet the Without a comprehensive study on the safety of GM crops and requirements for a comprehensive study. In our opinion their associated pesticides the Welsh public will remain very governments from the EU should turn their attention to the cautious about GM foods and GM crops, thus cultivation of GM ‘Factor GMO’ study, which will enable them to receive answers crops would damage consumer trust in Welsh farming and food. that allow them to make the correct decisions on regulating GM crop cultivation and their associated pesticides.
OTHER SOCIO-ECONOMIC POINTS THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED ARE d) effects on farms and b) Risks of the extinction farming communities, a) Effects on food, feed c) effects on income and of traditional varieties, including size and and commodity prices, employment biological diversity, protection of the farm family and labourers; f) operating costs e) requirements for (inputs, labour, g) impact on investment education, information economics of scale etc.) and access to finance. and continuing training, and
DIFFICULTIES FACED a) Would national ban be legal in the context of the WTO? b) Already permitted Coexistence Measures under existing law. Could these take priority over a complete prohibition on cultivation in terms of proportionality? c) Wales also faces its own country specific problems including establishing cross- border arrangements with England to ensure that Welsh farmers are protected from any possible contamination should GM crops be grown across the border.
THANK YOU DIOLCH YN FAWR However, despite these difficulties, the Welsh government recently stated that like a number of other EU countries which fought hard for this, they welcome the new EU decision. Wales looks forward to working with other EU countries in developing a clear pathway towards a ban on GM crop cultivation and also for a new targeted focus on supporting sustainable agricultural practices. Henry Rowlands, International Coordinator Global GMO Free Coalition, www.gmofreeglobal.org horowlands@gmail.com
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