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Object to trialling GM wheat in the UK

Help stop the 2012-2013 field trial of a new GM wheat in Hertfordshire by Rothamsted Research

09 Mar 2012

Ask your MP/MEPs to Pledge

The most important action to ask your MP/MEPs to take now is to Pledge "No" to GM wheat, so see our action at www.gmfreeze.org/actions/25/ for details. Feel free to include the points in the action below if you wish to write a more detailed letter asking for Pledges. Thank you.


What you can do

Please write to your MP asking her/him to object to Defra about the approval of the Rothamsted Research application to trial GM wheat in the UK. If you wrote to your MP previously, please write again including these new points.

 

Full background and advice on how to respond in detail are available in Objecting to an Application to Trial GM Wheat in Hertfordshire. You can also read our formal objection to Defra.

For more news, info and action ideas, see GM Wheat? NO THANKS!

Points to include:

  • Object to Defra's approval of the application reference 11/R8/01 from Rothamsted Research to trial GM wheat in the UK because of:
  • The lack of market for GM wheat anywhere on the planet means it is a waste of time and money.
  • The serious doubts about whether the GM wheat will work as stated.
  • The lack of any data on potential health effects of the GM wheat.
  • The presence of an antibiotic resistant marker gene, despite concern raised by the European Medicines Agency that this may contribute to a rise in resistant infections in humans and animals.
  • The risk of cross-contamination with other wheat crops and some grasses.
  • Unknown impacts on predator and parasite populations, which already provide some control for aphid infestations, and unknown impacts on nearby non-GM farms from displaced aphids.
  • The possible development of aphids desensitised to the alarm chemical if it is constantly produced by the wheat plants.
  • The plans to control couch grass, already a pernicious weed on arable and other land, for 12 months after the trial indicates a real risk of hybridisation, yet there is no detailed risk assessment by the applicant based on peer reviewed papers. This is significant because couch could become fitter if crossed with GM wheat.
  • The overall lack of consideration for the environmental risks associated with the molecular characterisation of the GM wheat.
  • The lack of information or risk assessment for possible horizontal transfer of the antibiotic resistant marker gene (nptl) and/or the EBF gene into soil bacteria.
  • The application assumes EBF only affects the behaviour of aphids and predators/parasites, but this is not supported by any peer reviewed scientific papers.
  • ACRE recognised that large birds could move GM seed off site but ignore the potential for smaller birds (eg, House Sparrows) and small mammals to do likewise. This risk must be fully considered now, as it will be key if commercial growing ever takes place. (ACRE also recognised the risk of seed transfer in combines and has recommended that they be cleaned on the test site, which will also risk contamination of non-GM crops if commercial cultivation of this GM crop is ever approved).

Send your email using Write To Them

We suggest you use writetothem.com to help contact your MP and MEPs. writetothem.com do not accept block copied text, and the site may reject attempts to do this. This is because personalised letters from constituents are by far the most effective. Politicians are increasingly dismissive of identical letters they receive.

Please simply personalise the suggestions we give you or contact your politicians directly (rather than using writetothem.com) if you want to block copy text. Thank you for keeping our actions as effective as they can be.


Background to this action

Rothamsted Research received Defra authorisation for its application to grow a field trial of the GM wheat in 2012 and again in 2013 on its farm in Hertfordshire. The crop is genetically modified to produce aphid “alarm” chemicals that cause the insects to stop feeding and take flight.

£1.28 million in public money has been poured into the crop by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. The money should have been spent on a variety of non-GM alternatives, including some identified by Rothamsted Research itself.

Initial action aimed to press Defra directly to reject the application during the period of the public consultation, which is now closed. It is still very valuable to tell politicians you are not happy with Defra's decision.

For more news, info and action ideas, see GM Wheat? NO THANKS!

All previous updates

12 Sep 2011

ACRE highlights lack of information in application

On 4 August the UK Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) meeting discussed the application by Rothamsted Research to trial a new GM wheat (ACRE notes available at www.defra.gov.uk/acre/files/acreminutes-20110804.pdf).

ACRE highlighted a number of areas where information supplied by the applicant was not sufficient and requested more detail.

The implications of full-scale commercial cultivation of this GM wheat cannot be ignored when assessing the application for a test site. There is no point in proceeding with a trial if the risk cannot be contained in any future commercial growing, should it be approved. Detailed concerns are outlined in "Points to include".

09 Mar 2012

Ask your MP/MEPs to Pledge

The most important action to ask your MP/MEPs to take now is to Pledge "No" to GM wheat, so see our action at www.gmfreeze.org/actions/25/ for details. Feel free to include the points in the action below if you wish to write a more detailed letter asking for Pledges. Thank you.