Oxford Friends of the Earth   Food Campaign
News

Events

Campaigns

Contacts

Join us

Links

Oxfordshire goes GM-free

GM-free Oxfordshire After more than a year of campaigning by Oxford FoE, the Executive of Oxfordshire County Council passed a resolution on 17 February for a package of measures to stop the commercial growing of GM crops in the County and to ensure the County Council's catering, including school dinners, will contain no GM ingredients. The resolution was passed without objection. Oxfordshire is the seventh  County Council to become GM-Free, joining over twenty other local authorities.

The resolution passed was to:

  • Stop the commercial growing of GM crops in Oxfordshire by seeking exemptions during the EU approvals process of each crop on a case by case basis where justified. But this is subject to the agreement of two Councillors each time: one responsible for Sustainable Development (Anne Purse, Liberal Democrat) and the other the Executive member for Transport (David Robertson, Conservative);
  • Formally confirm the requirement that officers arranging contracts for the supply of foods ensure that suppliers contract take all reasonable and practicable steps to ensure that genetically modified food is not used or provided e.g. school dinners.
  • Consult farmers and growers who have registered in the Oxfordshire GM-Free Register and other representative agencies as to what other measures might be feasible to protect the economic well being of organic and other non-GM farmers and producers
Andrew Wood, Food Campaigner for Oxford Friends of the Earth said:
"We're delighted that the Council listened to the many people who live and work in Oxfordshire and asked for a GM-Free Oxfordshire. This really is of benefit to both wildlife and the agricultural economy of the County. However the Council Executive is being very cautious in its commitment to using its EU powers to stop commercial GM growing in the County. We'll be monitoring them to see they live up to their promise."

Oxfordshire farmer Charles Bennett, from Sandy Lane Farm, near Thame said:
"We can all breathe a sigh of relief now Oxfordshire is to stop the commercial growing of GM crops. It's really for everyone's benefit, organic growers and conventional farmers, as well as consumers, especially those who buy locally."

The Council had received many, many representations for Oxfordshire to become a GM-Free County Council like neighbouring Warwickshire and Gloucestershire, and other authorities around the Country. The Executive meeting considered a report by the Solicitor to the County of the legal measures that could be taken to keep Oxfordshire GM-Free. The report was ordered after a Council meeting in November 2003. 

More information