Press releases

Make Brexit mean Better for our food and our farms GM campaign group releases General Election manifesto to protect key safeguards after UK leaves European Union

Immediate release (18 May 2017)

Regulation, labelling and compensation for farmers subjected to GM contamination are all included in a General Election manifesto published today by GM Freeze, the UK umbrella campaign on genetically modified food, crops and patents. Most UK regulation around food and …
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Defra overrides public concern to write regulatory blank cheque for untested GM

Immediate release (8 May 2017)

Despite 119 public representations raising a wide range of concerns, Farming Minster George Eustice quietly gave consent [1] on 27 April to a controversial open air field trial of GM potatoes that have not been tested under controlled conditions. The …
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Illegal GM petunias show disregard for regulation

Comment (8 May 2017)

Commenting on the news that unauthorised genetically modified petunias have been found for sale in the UK, Liz O’Neill, Director of GM Freeze said today: Regardless of whether or not these particular GM plants pose an immediate threat to people, …
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Princess Anne: GM already causes more than “occasional downsides”

Comment (22 Mar 2017)

Princess Anne’s comments in support of GM Crops are widely reported in the media today. Taken from a Farming Today interview that has not yet been broadcast (it will air on 23 March) the Princess Royal’s comments include the idea …
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Regulatory blank cheque for untested GM potatotes? Thirty-three organisations including farmers, scientists, retailers, caterers and environmentalists, have lodged a formal objection to a proposed open air field trial of experimental GM potatoes, describing them as untested, unwanted and unnecessary.

Immediate release (21 Mar 2017)

If granted consent by Defra, the trial will see the experimental potatoes planted in an open field at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, despite the fact they have not been tested under controlled conditions. Applications for a “deliberate release” of …
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GM wheat will be planted in Hertfordshire

Comment (1 Feb 2017)

Commenting on the news that Rothamsted Research has received consent to go ahead with an open-air trial of GM wheat, Liz O’Neill, Director of umbrella campaign group GM Freeze said: GM Freeze and thirty other organisations submitted a detailed objection …
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EU nations say NO to GM crops but not quite loudly enough European Commission must protect our right and grow and eat GM Free after key EU vote rejects crops but fails to meet qualified majority voting standard

Immediate release (27 Jan 2017)

A key vote today saw European nations oppose the European Commission’s proposal to authorise the first new GM crops for cultivation since 1998, but failed to achieve the necessary majority for the proposal to be formally shelved. [1] EU member …
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Impact of changing genome goes way beyond intended effects

Comment (19 Dec 2016)

Commenting on a new study showing unexpected differences between GM and non-GM maize, GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said: This study shows that the impact of changing an organism’s genome in the lab goes way beyond intended effects. Genetics is …
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Poll shows support for figment of Bayer’s imagination

Comment (5 Nov 2016)

Commenting on a poll commisioned by Bayer, which showed 54% of UK adults agreeing with GM crops “in principle, provided there are no negative consequences related to health or the environment”, GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said: Unfortunately, the agrochemical …
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New Rothamsted wheat trial misses the point

Comment (4 Nov 2016)

Commenting on news that Rothamsted Research has applied for permission to carry out a field trial of GM wheat plants [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/genetically-modified-organisms-rothamsted-research-16r0802], GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said Rothamsted’s researchers have totally missed the point – why do we want to …
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