Community Food Growers Network

‘No to GM crops, Yes to Food Sovereignty’ – Public teach-ins on April 17^th.

The community food growers network invites you to a day of public events exploring why Genetically Modified (GM) crops pose a threat to sustainable food production, what the GM industry is doing here in Britain, and how we as ordinary people can support alternative, sustainable and socially just food systems.

The teach-ins will be held in Walthamstow, Chingford and Brixton on the 17^th of April and will provide a space for people with little or no knowledge of the issues surrounding the industrial genetic modifications of food crops (and other forms of life such as insects) to talk to experienced campaigners, concerned food growers and people passionate about supporting local food. Combining films, presentations, practical gardening and discussions this will be a day of grassroots popular education. All events are free of charge and open to everyone.

These events are organised in solidarity with small scale producers all over the world who come together to take collective actions on April 17^th.

GM food is back on the British Government’s agenda. This year marks the first open air trial of GM wheat ever to be held in the UK, and a big step towards the commercial cultivation of GM crops in Britain. As community food growers we work to create healthy and sustainable food systems for the benefit of local communities, their economies and environments. We believe that the open air testing and commercial growing of GM crops is a serious threat to sustainable food production. To communicate the urgency and necessity of a strong response from civil society we invite you to our teach-ins on the 17^th of April.

What’s on in Waltham Forest – North East London?

‘No to GM crops’ Special evening of discussion, teach-in and film in Walthamstow:

7-8pm -Presentations on the current situation in Britain, how GM crops threaten sustainable food production, and what we can do about it. This will include open discussion – a chance to learn why and how people oppose gm crops.

8-8:30 – Soup by donations, and time for further discussions.

8:30-11 – Film followed by discussion. We will show the 2004 documentary ‘The Future of Food’, a pioneering film which explores the key agricultural, social and political issues surrounding the industrialisation of agriculture and genetic engineering. The film is based in the USA, one of the original testing grounds for the GM industry, and documents the effects that the development of the industry has had on farmers and consumers there as well as highlighting the ways in which GM was globalised.

* Sadly we have been unable to source a copy of ‘Raising Resistance’ because it has not been released for distribution yet. We hope to be able to screen the film after its release in December 2012, stay in touch for details!

At the Hornbeam Center 458 Hoe St, Walthamstow, E17 9AH www.hornbeam.org.uk

There is also a chance for those who want to practically sow seeds of food sovereignty to participate in the Hawkwood Plant Nursery’s regular Tuesday afternoon activity from 1.30pm-4.30pm (and then join a cycle ride to the Walthamstow teach-in or take a local bus).

To find the Hawkwood site see www.organiclea.org.uk under ‘finding us’ or call 020 8524 4994

What’s on in Brixton – South London?

10am – Heritage Wheat Planting and Seasonal garden work. Held at Myatts Field [North], Community Centre, 40 Bramah Green, SW9 7RG

12:05pm – Travel to Lilford Estate Growing project for a site visit.

1- 3pm – Vegan Lunch (by donation) and discussions on challenges and opportunities for making livelihoods from community food projects. LARA Community Flat, 46 Lilford House, SE5 9QA

3:05 PM — Travel to Brixton Town Centre for refreshments and discussions on ownership policies on land, planning and food systems. Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road, (Windrush Square), Brixton, SW2 1EP

5pm – Screening of the documentary film “Vanishing of the Bees”, followed by group discussions on the film and the issues it raises.

9pm – Reconvene at Vida Walsh Centre for reporting back, presentation and discussions on Genetically Modified (GM) crops and their impact on food autonomy and biodiversity.

3D Plant Groundation is hosting the events in Brixton for the Community Food Growers’ Network. Please get involved through the event Webpage:
<www.nn-3.net/globalise-hope>

More information: For more information about the community food growers network and its members seewww.cfgn.org.uk. For more information about GM crops in Britain and the actions being taken against them seewww.gmfreeze.org / www.taketheflourback.org

We, the members of the Community Food Growers Network, affirm our opposition to the development of Genetically Modified (GM) plants and call for an immediate end to the open air trials of GM wheat at the Rothamsted research station.

As a network of Community Food Growers we work to create healthy and sustainable food systems for the benefit of local communities, their economies and environments. We believe that the open air testing and commercial growing of GM crops is a serious threat to sustainable food production, and that the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops is untenable.

The Genetic Modification of food crops represents the most destructive end of the industrial agricultural system that privileges the profit of corporations over the sustainability and resilience of global food systems. Wherever they have been cultivated, GM crops have been responsible for huge losses in agro-biodiversity, unpredictable cross contamination, and the dispossession of small-scale farmers.

We oppose the cultivation of GM crops for the following reasons:

The planting and cultivation of GM crops increases the control of multinational corporations over our food systems. These corporations use the intellectual property regime to strip farmers of their rights to save, exchange and grow traditional seeds while forcing them into dependence on GM seeds and associated inputs. [i] These corporations also use their financial and political power to gain access to land and water at the expense of small producers. [ii] GM endangers the livelihoods of small farmers and the sustainability of our food systems.

Through the standardisation of the seeds made available to farmers, GM is at the forefront of the genetic standardisation of plant varieties and a huge reduction in agro-biodiversity worldwide. [iii] By placing control of seed breeding in the hands of a few corporations, GM dramatically weakens the resilience of our food systems to sudden changes.

The open air cultivation of GM crops causes the cross-contamination of GM plants with non-GM plants leading to unpredictable results and a loss of consumer confidence in our produce. [iv] The open air trial of GM wheat puts the markets for our food and the health of our ecological systems at risk.

The cultivation of GM crops present significant obstacles to the creation of sustainable and socially just food systems and signifies a further act in the enclosure of global commons and natural heritage for private profit. We therefore call for an immediate end to the open air trials of GM wheat at the Rothamsted research station.

No to Privatisation and corporate control of food! No to open air GM wheat trials!

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[i] The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) report www.agassessment.org / BEDE. (2011). Seeds and farmers rights; how international regulations affect farmer’s seeds. www.farmersrights.org/pdf/semences_reglementations_EN.pdf

[ii] Busch, L., Lacey, W.B., Burkhardt, J., and Lacey, L. (1990). Plants, power and profit. Oxford, England: Basil Blackwell.

[iii] Altieri, Miguel (2001) Genetic Engineering in Agriculture: The Myths, Environmental Risks, and Alternatives (Food First).

[iv] European Coordiantion of La Via Campesina. (2010) ‘GMOs : The socio – economic impacts of contamination’. www.eurovia.org/spip.php?article305 And GM Contamination Register www.gmcontaminationregister.org

Community Food Growers Network approved the following testimony at the 5/11/11 meeting:

As a network of community food growing projects, we deplore the attempts to evict Grow Heathrow.

Community food growing projects hold so many of the answers to the big challenges posed by the mounting economic, environmental, social and health crises.

Grow Heathrow are a good example of a group of citizens taking initiative to create social and environmental value, with very limited resources. They merely need space, and time. we support their proposal to set up a community land trust.

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• Sign the petition for court – http://www.petitiononline.com/heathrow/petition.html
• Send a supportive testimony to info@transitionheathrow.com or to Grow Heathrow, Vineries Close, Sipson, West Drayton, UB7 0JG (Full list of statements so far found at www.transitionheathrow.com/statements)
• Follow on Twitter @transheathrow. #defendGrowHrow
• Get down to Uxbridge County Court for 9.30am on Thursday 17th November for a big show of support outside the court.

London growers coming together to oppose GM crop trials at a national action in Norfolk, July 2011. As small-scale community growers our opposition to GM crops is fundamental and is represented in the Network’s manifesto a:

That the open air testing and commercial growing of genetically modified (GM) crops is a serious threat to sustainable food production, and that the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops is untenable.

We demand freedom from contamination by GM pollution.