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for a responsible, fair & sustainable food system

Consultation responses

Detailed, referenced, written responses to a wide range of formal consultations concerning issues relating to GM in food and farming. This includes objections to UK GM field trials, submissions to parliamentary inquiries and more. Multi-agency responses are submitted on behalf of GM Freeze and other organisations.


Defra: Multi-agency response to potatoes trial 16_R29_01

21 Mar 2016

potatoes harvested in a field

GM Freeze and twenty-one other organisations came together to ask Defra not to allow the Sainsbury’s Laboratory to release GM blight-resistant potatoes in an open-air trial.

Defra: Multi-agency response to Camelina trial 16_R8_01

21 Mar 2016

GM Freeze and twenty other organisations came together to ask Defra not to allow Rothamsted Research to release GM camelina in a new trial.

Nuffield Council on Bioethics – Genome Editing

3 Feb 2016

Snapshot of a DNA double helix

GM Freeze responded to a Nuffield Council on Bioethics call for evidence on Genome Editing: http://nuffieldbioethics.org/project/genome-editing/open-call-for-evidence/

Genome editing shares many of the same risks as GM, while also presenting new problems. There is much that can go wrong and it is vital that new techniques are subject to proper regulation, traceability and end-product labelling.

People have a wide range of ethical concerns about genetic engineering and it is vital that these are properly considered. Individuals without the advantage of a technically accurate vocabulary must be heard and understood.

More on this issue under Why a Freeze / New GM techniques in the menu above (sorry, there’s a glitch on links in this part of the website)

FSA consultation on GM food and feed opt-outs

27 Oct 2015

The Food Standards Agency invited stakeholder views on the European Commission’s proposal to allow Member States to restrict or ban the use of authorised GM food and feed products. This is the response that GM Freeze submitted.

EFSA Guidance for GM Renewals

23 Dec 2014

wheat seedling in field

In November 2014, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published and invited comments on its draft Guidance for Renewal Applications of Genetically Modified Food and Feed authorised under Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003. GM Freeze responded via forms on the EFSA website, on behalf of GM Freeze, EcoNexus European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsiblity (ENSSER), Friends of the Earth Europe and the Soil Association.

EFSA re-approval consultation

Download file

Draft guidance

Download file

House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology: GM foods and the precautionary principle

24 Jul 2014

In April 2014 GM Freeze submitted written evidence to the Science and Technology Committee’s Inquiry “GM Foods and the Application of the Precautionary Principle in Europe”. A copy of that submission can be downloaded here, along with additional evidence submitted in response to questions posed to GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill during an oral evidence session on 15 October, 2014. All other submissions are available to download at the Committee’s website via

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/science-and-technology-committee/inquiries/parliament-2010/gm-foods-and-application-of-the-precautionary-principle-in-europe/?type=Written#pnlPublicationFilter

Original submission to the inquiry

Download file

Additional evidence submitted after our oral evidence session

Download file

Defra: Multi-agency objection to Application from Rothamsted Research to release genetically modified camelina, reference 14/R8/01

21 Mar 2014

Submitted by GM Freeze, EcoNexus, Food & Water Europe, GM Free Dorset, the Organic Research Centre, PC & RA Lundgren, the Soil Association and Whole Organic Plus/GM Education

USDA: Docket ID: APHIS-2013-0042 – Dow AgroSciences LLC; Environmental Impact Statement for Determination of Nonregulated Status of Herbicide (2,4-D) Resistant Corn and Soybeans

4 Mar 2014