Green party

GM Crops

Noting that:

1. The Review of the Science of Genetic Modification commissioned by the government has shown that modified genes from GM crops can be transmitted to other plants through horizontal gene transfer and can pass into the bloodstream of both animals and humans
2. The potential long-term risks of GM technology are huge and have not been quantified by the relatively small amount of research that has been conducted to date
3. As demonstrated by the GM public debate meetings, a large proportion of the UK public do not want GM food to be grown here and do not want to eat GM food
4. The Cabinet Office's report on the cost and benefits of GM crops has shown very limited economic benefits of GM crops, as evidenced by supermarkets continuing to shun GM foods
5. It is very likely growing GM crops in this country would lead to cross contamination of other farms and crops to the extent that organic and non-GM crops could no longer be considered GM-free
6. Implementing EU legislation on traceability and labelling will be costly. More importantly, the potential long term costs of dealing with any negative environmental and health effects of GM food are massive

Conference requests that the Green Party Executive write to Margaret Beckett, calling on the Government to:

1. Maintain the effective moratorium on commercial growing of GM crops in the UK;
2. Uphold the right of local authorities to declare ?GM-free zones?;
3. To the greatest extent possible, prevent the import of GM food;
4. Enforce full traceability and labelling of all GM imports;
5. Seek to make the producers of GM food fully liable for all costs related to enforcement of traceability and labelling and for the costs of mitigating any damage to health or the environment

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