Keeping the pressure up on GMOs in 2015

December 31, 2014 by Staff Reporter

It’s been a busy year for the Beyond GM campaign and thanks to you it’s also been successful and impactful beyond expectations.

Beyond GM has been launched at a time when people’s interest in and concerns about GMOs have been increasing. It is an ambitious and creative movement-building exercise that, through sustained and high profile actions, aims to push the issue of GMOs and, ultimately, sustainable food production higher up the public and political agenda.

We have what can only be described as a ‘lean’ staff, but nevertheless have managed to initiate and run several high-profile initiatives, each with their unique focus and flavour, but which nevertheless reinforce and build on each other.

The response from the public has been really gratifying.

Perhaps you have been amongst the first to put your face on GM Free Me – our visual petition to keep GMOs out of the UK. GMOs are coming to the UK and rather than wait for this to happen we are asking our supporters to be proactive in registering their dissent. Not only is the website visually compelling it shows that – contrary to what we have been told by the pro-GM lobby – people are both informed and engaged and have a wide range of reasons for wanting to keep GMOs out of the UK.

Check out the gallery – or type your UK postcode into the search bar to see the support in your local area. If there is no one in your area yet why not make yourself the first by uploading your photo and comment!

Or maybe you’ve been one of the millions in the US who have either endorsed The Letter from America; or, if you live in the UK, have used that letter to begin a dialogue with your MP about this important topic.

Or you could have visited our stall at the Great Seed Festival or been part of the standing-room only audience for the launch of our campaign where we shared great GM-free food and drink and watched the award winning film, GMO OMG.

Possibly you were someone who helped by giving a much appreciated donation to help us continue our work.

However you have supported Beyond GM, you are part of a tipping point that has returned the issue of the genetic modification of food to the public arena.

The debate is hotting up

There’s never been a more critical time for people everywhere to pay attention to what is happening to our food.

In the US GMO salmon has been given the go-ahead, and two new and even more dangerous varieties of GMO crops have been approved. States wishing to enact labelling laws have found the going tough as biotech millions poured into misleading advertising campaigns have ensured such legislation does not pass.

In the EU we are inching closer to more widespread approval of GMO crops. In January the European Parliament will finally vote in a new ruling which effectively demolishes centralised control over GMOs. This means that individual pro-GM Member States – like the UK – are free to plant GMOs from that point on, raining down on our country the environmental and health problems that have plagued the Americas for the last 17 years.

But public awareness of GMOs has also been increasing, and in the UK our campaign has brought a new vitality to the arena – and new faces too.

In response to our activities, for example, a new campaigning group Mums Say No to GMOs is now active and would love to hear from other mothers who want to get involved. Members of the group held their first protest outside a Sainsbury’s in Bristol last month. We intend to support them, and other local groups, in any way we can.

We will also be organising a national tour of GMO OMG in the UK in 2015. So please get in touch if you would like to have a screening near you. We have a lot of other big, exciting plans which we will let you know about in due course.

Together we can change things

There will be no let-up in 2015 – we will be bringing supermarkets and farmers and the debacle of EU Member State opt-out into our campaigning – and with your help we will be keeping the pressure up on this vital issue in the UK, the EU and by working with our friends in the US – and we hope to connect with as many of you as possible along the way.

On our websites you will find news and plenty of good quality information on GMOs. Your continued support – by participating in our campaigns and spreading the word to your friends, family and via social media, is invaluable, so please accept our sincerest thanks.

Like all campaigning groups, we depend on donations to survive. If you feel that you can help us with a donation to keep our innovative campaigning work going in 2015 this too would be appreciated – all of our sites include a Paypal donation button or you email us at info@beyond-gm.org if you can send postal donations (in UK sterling) to Beyond GM Ltd, 2-6 Cannon Street, London EC4M 6YH.

We wish you all the best and, of course, a GM free New Year.

The Beyond GM Team