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The biggest blow against
GM crops this century
The Soil Association is delighted at Waitrose’s decision to
start using non-GM soya from Europe in animal feed for
their meat and dairy products – marking the beginning of
the end of the last large-scale use of GM crops in the UK.
his is the most
significant move in
the UK against the
use of GM crops
since 1999, when
British
supermarkets took the 70% of
processed food that contained GM
off their shelves, with it never to
return. On that occasion the way
was led by one retailer (Iceland),
which went non-GM, and the rest
followed within a few months.
While European players
including France’s Carrefour, the
third biggest retailer in the world,
German retailers and the German
Poultry Association (ZDG), have
continued to move away from GM
feed, British supermarkets - apart
from Waitrose - have actually
increased their use of GM animal
feed, despite widespread public
opposition.
All UK supermarkets still sell
meat and dairy products from
animals fed on imported GM soya
T
and GM maize – which they are
not required to label under EU law.
Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace,
GM Freeze and the Soil
Association have opposed this
large-scale but hidden use of GM
crops for over 15 years.
Waitrose is currently the only
retailer in the UK that has
committed to continuing to use
non-GM poultry feed and to start
using non-GM soya in other
animal feed.
Peter Melchett, Soil Association
Policy Director said: ‘We warmly
welcome this very important
development. GM soya from Latin
America is linked to rainforest
destruction, so sourcing non-GM
soya from the Danube region, and
using more UK-grown protein
crops, is good for the climate,
good for UK farmers, and good for
consumers. We expect other
retailers to follow Waitrose’s lead.’
Woman left lamb to suffer
with broken leg
Woman who ran petting farm left young lamb without
treatment.
n Essex woman
has been
sentenced for
causing
unnecessary
suffering to a lamb
for failing to treat the animal’s
broken leg.
Joanna Smith (DoB:
27/04/1965) of Alexandra Road,
Sible Hedingham, pleaded guilty
to one allegation of causing
unnecessary suffering to the lamb
by failing to treat the injury, under
section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act
2006.
She was sentenced at
Colchester Magistrates’ Court on
Tuesday (1 November) to carry out
50 hours of unpaid work. She was
also ordered to pay £300 in court
costs and an £80 victim surcharge.
RSPCA inspector Adam Jones,
who investigated, said: “Ms Smith
ran a petting farm from land she
rented.
“We were contacted by the
landowner in May over concerns
for the welfare of the lamb which
had a leg injury.
“The caller had told Ms Smith
A
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
the lamb was injured and needed
veterinary treatment but she didn’t
do anything. Even when he caught
the lamb and confined it for her,
she still didn’t arrange for a vet to
visit so we were alerted.
“Luckily, we were able to treat
the injury and the lamb was
rehomed successfully.”
Ms Smith has now been evicted
from the land at Greenstead Green
in Halstead.
Inspector Jones added: “There
is no excuse for leaving any
animal with such a serious injury
without any veterinary attention or
treatment.
“As the lamb’s owner, it was Ms
Smith’s responsibility to ensure
that this sheep - and all her other
animals - had the appropriate
veterinary care and, in this
instance, she failed to do so.
“However, she did admit in
court that it was a mistake and a
one-off incident, and the court felt
that it was not necessary to
remove all the animals from her
care or to interfere with her
livelihood running a petting farm.
November 2016 | Farming Monthly | 07