GM soya ban good for UK

Farmers Weekly letters 23feb01

The recent announcement by supermarkets ASDA, Tesco and Marks and Spencer is good news for farmers producing eggs, poultry, pork, beef and lamb. After banning the inclusion of GM soya and maize in animal feeds, supermarkets will have to procure more of their requirements from British livestock farmers. Those will in turn be purchasing GM free animal feed grown by British arable farmers.

British produced eggs, poultry, pork, lamb and beef on British supermarket shelves, fed on British produced peas, beans and wheat. Isn't that just what the NFU has advocated?

The NFU is always complaining about cheap imported foods, of dubious quality and produced to lower welfare standards, and the need for a level playing field. This is an ideal opportunity for British farmers to grab a bigger share of the food sold in supermarkets and an opportunity to tilt the playing field in farmers' favour.

So why is the NFU demanding urgent talks with Nick Brown in an attempt to force the supermarkets to suspend their proposals? Is it because the NFU is putting the interests of all the multinational companies and farmers in the USA above the interests of members here in Britain?

--- Robert Wilkinson White House Farm, Branston Booths, Lincoln, England