Immediate Release: Tuesday 2 May 2000 page 1 of 1
MORE FARMERS ABANDON GM TRIALS

A farm scale trial of GM oilseed rape in Essex has been abandoned, just
two days before local people were due to vote on whether the trial
should go ahead. The planting of the trial, at St Osyth near Clacton,
had been delayed because the farmer had promised to abide by the results
of a local parish referendum on the trial. However, just days before the
vote was due, SCIMAC - the GM industry's co-ordinating body - has
decided to abandon the trial.

Frank Pennycook, GM Trials co-ordinator at Friends of the Earth said:

"This is a fantastic victory for both the environment and the local
people of St Osyth who have fought an excellent campaign against this GM
trial site. The biotech industry has rushed to scrap the site before the
people of St Osyth threw it out. This success should encourage people
wishing to campaign against trial sites around the country, and
particularly the site revealed last week at#160# Wivenhoe."

Earlier today a genetically modified forage maize trial site planned for
Cornwall was also abandoned after a local milk company [1] threatened to
stop collecting milk from the farmer.#160# The trial site, near West
Porthland on the south Cornish site, was the only farm scale trial#160# in
the county - though more sites may still be announced. Last week another
GM trial was abandoned after it was discovered that the proposed site
was in Wales - despite being listed as in Cheshire on the Government's
website. Seven sites have now been abandoned - 60 remain.


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[1] Geoff Lawrence, Peninsula Milk: 01837 650100