GM tomatoes 'simply unnecessary'

28 October 2008

Green Party Deputy Leader Adrian Ramsay has said that the genetically modified (GM) purple tomatoes created at the John Innes Centre in Norwich are simply unnecessary. Scientists at John Innes claim that the purple tomatoes are good for human health because they contain high levels of antioxidants - but they admit that the antioxidants are natually occurring in foods such as beetroot, cranberries and blackberries.
 
Adrian Ramsay, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich South, said: "The GM tomatoes are a total red herring. Antioxidants can be found in any purple coloured foods: beetroot, red cabbage, red grapes and various berries. It is good for people's health to eat some of these foods as part of a nutritious diet. The health benefits of these foods do need to be promoted more - but we don't need GM tomatoes to supply antioxidants when they are natually occurring in other foods.
 
"Growing GM tomatoes for commercial sale would pose a new and lasting threat to the environment and farmers because of the high risk of contamination of non-GM tomatoes and the wider effects on ecosystems. We also simply don't know what side effects on human health there could be from eating GM foods.
 
"I suspect that these GM so-called 'superfoods' are designed to make people feel more comfortable about GM - but this is likely to backfire when people see that these inventions are simply unnecessary. Scientists should concentrate on promoting healthy diets from natually occurring foods - not interfering with nature totally unnecessarily and with unknown consequences."

Last week, on 22 October, Adrian met a Canadian farmer who almost lost his livelihood because of GM crops.
 
Percy Schmeiser is touring the UK talking about how he made legal history when he successfully turned the tables on the giant corporation Monsanto, which manufactures genetically modified crops. 

Monsanto infamously tried to sue the 68 year-old farmer when his non-GM canola crop became contaminated with the company’s GM variety. 
 
Ten years later, Percy Schmeiser is now celebrating a double victory against the corporate giant. Monsanto not only lost its case against the farmer, but in July this year Mr Schmeiser won a landmark case in which Monsanto must pay the costs of clearing out the contaminated crops.
 
Adrian Ramsay said: “This is an inspiring real-life story of David taking on Goliath and winning hands-down.  One farmer refused to back down to the bullying tactics of this giant corporation.  In doing so, Percy Schmeiser has made history for farmers all over the world, whose livelihoods could be threatened by wind-blown GM contamination.
 
“Mr Schmeiser’s story is a stark warning of the dangers of GM contamination and the problems of allowing corporate patents on living organisms.  His visit to Norwich is a timely wake-up call – at a time when Norfolk County Council is considering giving £1 million of taxpayers’ money to fund a genome research centre that will lead to GM applications.”
 
Mr Schmeiser will be talking in London on 29th October.

Full list of tour dates:

NORWICH 
Wednesday 22nd October, 7.30pm,
Sports and Conference Centre,  Easton College, Easton, Norwich,  Norfolk   NR9 5DX.
Contact no : 07958 793298
 
LINCOLN
Thursday 23rd October, 7.00pm
Riseholme Conference Centre, University of Lincoln,  Riseholme Park, Riseholme, Lincoln, LN2 2LG
Contact no : 07751 112303
 
DRIFFIELD
Friday 24th October, 7pm
The Bell Hotel, Market Place, Driffield, East Yorkshire YO25 6AN
Contact no : 01482 862085
 
ABERYSTWYTH
Monday 27th. October  2.00pm
For FUW members only at IGER Centre, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth.  SY23 3EB.
Contact no : 07879664703
 
DORCHESTER
Tuesday 28th October, 7pm,
Kingston Moreward College, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8PY
Contact no : 01258 861023
 
LONDON
Wednesday 29th October, 3.30pm,
GM Freeze AGM, Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ
Contact no : 0845 217 8992
 
LONDON
Wednesday 29th October,
Gaia Evening 6.30pm – 10.00pm
Booking Essential - £10, includes drinks and light buffet from 6.60 at - 18 Well Walk, Hampstead,  NW3 1LD, followed the talk in Burgh House.
Contact no : 0207 428 0055