GM CONTAMINATION OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS

Early day motion 1599, tabled 7 February 2006 by Alan Simpson (Labour). Signed by 226 members.

That this House notes the proposal by the European Commission to revise the EU Organic Regulation and impose on organic products a threshold of 0.9 per cent. for contamination by genetically modified (GM) organisms; further notes the expansion of organic farming in the last decade and its positive contribution to the farming economy and the environment; further notes the wishes of the majority of European consumers to avoid any GM content in food; recognises that most organic certification bodies operate to the practical detection limit of 0.1 per cent.; is concerned that the imposition of a GM threshold for organic food above the detectable level will damage the reputation of organic produce and lead to increasing GM contamination over time; and calls upon the Secretary of State to support non-GM food production and farmer and consumer choice by opposing the use of a 0.9 per cent. threshold as a reference in co-existence measures or in the EU Organic Regulation, ensuring that strict liability rules put the cost of GM contamination on the polluters and not on taxpayers or the non-GM sector, recognising the importance of independent organic certification and the need to protect this system by ensuring that organic means no GMOs, and ensuring that the threshold for all non-GM seed is set at the practical limit of detection.

Signatures by party: Labour 83, Conservative 82, Liberal Democrat 50, Scottish National Party 5, Plaid Cymru 3, DUP 1, Independent 1, UUP 1.