UNITED KINGDON-THE GM DEBATE.
The row about the GM contamination of oilseed rape in South Somerset rumbles on, with local farmer Oliver Dowding, a former chairman of the National Farmers’ Union organic committee, using the three-minute public question-time slot at South Somerset District Council’s meeting to lobby for support.
He asked if the district council would be joining Somerset County Council in writing to Defra to ask for the exact location of the unlicensed GM contamination, which Defra confirmed happened in the SSDC area, but would not pinpoint.
Defra has explained that the incident involved a new variety of imported conventionally bred, open-pollinated OSR, now withdrawn from the approval process, and privately trialled on behalf of the seed company.
Defra did not know of this GM contamination until after the trial’s harvest. Contamination was tested at 0.05 per cent, and Defra asserted: "GM volunteers will not be a significant issue."
A separate trial of a different variety of conventional rape was grown immediately adjacent by the same farmer. Tests indicated cross-pollination contamination of this crop at under 0.01 per cent. Defra said it would not monitor the local area for potential contamination, as the accidental sowing of the GM seed had not posed any risk to the environment.
In the council chamber last week members supported Mr Dowding’s request and confirmed that they would be writing to Defra.
He was joined by members of the GMO-Free Somerset Campaign and Jane O’Meara, of the GM-Free Dorset Campaign.
She told me: "This incident shows how very easy it is for farmers to become victims of GM contamination through no fault of their own. It is very important that the lessons of this latest GM contamination are learnt so that future incidents can be prevented.
"As GM contamination can be replicated year after year it is in the public interest that the precise location of the original contamination is released, so that farmers and beekeepers in the area can be made aware of the need to control oilseed rape volunteers, be on the look out for weed killer-resistant plants in their fields, and check for contamination."
LAST summer, apple juice and cider producer The Orchard Pig, from West Bradley, near Glastonbury, created what turned out to be a highly popular summer drink with its apple juice infused with wild elderflowers.
The scented white flowers were picked fresh from the orchard hedgerows by hand so as not to damage the delicate blossoms, and steeped in fresh apple juice to extract their flavour.
As a result The Orchard Pig management decided to tidy up its elders, which have suffered from years of neglect and become a bit unruly and overgrown.
But pruning has to be done with extra care, as The Orchard Pig’s Neil Macdonald explained, saying that legend has it that you cut down elder at your peril. It is very bad luck to cut down or burn the tree, so any pruning needs to be done with respect.
"When you prune it you should not hack at it," he said. "Pruning elder trees is similar to pruning apple trees. What you are doing is feathering the energy through from the roots and helping it to develop well."
