At their recent annual conference the Canadian NFU adopted a new policy calling for a complete ban on all GM crops. This decision was born out of the bitter experiences of their members, who have repeatedly seen the promises and assurances of the biotech industry prove unfounded. In addition to questioning the human health and environmental risks associated with GM crops the NFUC have drawn attention to the economic harm being done to Canadian farmers by GM technology.  Crucially, they have also taken issue with the unscientific assumption of "substantial equivalence" of GM foods, as the justification for the failure to perform comprehensive, independant human health tests on GM foods.

This stance by the Canadian farming industry, where GM crops have been grown commercially for several years serves to expose the glib assurances given in UK and Europe by biotech companies, that everything on the other side of the Atlantic is rosy in the GM camp. It will surely do a great deal to waken up farmers in UK to the bitter harvest facing them if they embrace GM crops, and it should be a huge boost to our campaign, in helping to emphasise our message, that GMs will be bad for the Highland farming community and should have no place here.

At the first public meeting of the UK government's new Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commisssion(AEBC) held in London on 7th December submissions were heard from Highland Council and HIGMC, calling for the Commission to look at the failings of the current regulatory process, and inadequacy of the science underpinning the current programme of Government sponsored Field Scale Evaluations(of which the Munlochy trial forms part).   In response to these and other representations AEBC agreed that  a sub-group of their members, set up to look at the GM Field Scale Trial programme should take up Highland Council's invitation to hold their next meeting in Inverness.

It is expected that this meeting will take place in February or March, when we will have a big opportunity to convey the strength of local opposition to the trials, and justify our case against their continuation, in a forum which should get right to the heart of government.  Highland Council deserve our considerable praise for their efforts in conveying local opinions to AEBC and securing their commitment to take evidence in the Highlands. We must now make the most of this opportunity, once details of the meeting are confirmed.
For more details visit  www.highland.gov.uk/discussion_forum/gmcrops/ andwww.aebc.gov.uk
 
 

To mark the real start of the GM-FREE third millennium and to give everyone the chance to work off some of the festive excess with a much needed walk in the fresh air we are planning to hold a reconnaisance/ fact finding / informative/ pro-nature walk round "a field near Munlochy", on Tuesday 2nd January 2001, starting at around mid-day .

If you would like to find out more about the ways of GM on the Black Isle, and become better prepared for future events, which may yet be organised in this vicinity, please come along on 2nd January and join us for a pleasant stroll round the woods and fields above Munlochy Bay.

Music and seasonal entertainment will be provided during what promises to be a fun afternoon for all the family.    For more details and joining instructions please contact :-      Andrew.Thompson@care4free.net        or phone  0780 355 2326