GM food - the solutions

The widespread introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) poses enormous risks. Not enough research has been done into their impacts on other species or human health, and putting commercial gain for a few multinational corporations ahead of everything else is something we cannot afford to do.

We believe GMOs should not be released into the environment. Scientific understanding of their impact on plants, animals and human health is not adequate to ensure their safety.

We also oppose all patents on plants, animals and humans, as well as patents on their genes. Life is not an industrial commodity and when we force life forms and our world's food supply to conform to human economic models rather than their natural ones, we do so at our peril.

Sustainable agriculture

Instead, we advocate a move away from industrial-scale agriculture towards locally-focused and sustainable models. Feeding the world without exhausting the planet's natural resources is achievable, and it has to be a global priority - making sure everyone has enough to eat has to be more important than making money.

Study after study has shown the social and environmental benefits of sustainable and organic farming in both the affluent North and the impoverished South. These offer a practical way of restoring agricultural land degraded by the chemicals and over-production of industrial farming, allowing family farmers to fight poverty and hunger.

By championing organic, locally-produced food, we can challenge the threats posed by industrial agriculture and remove the flimsy arguments in favour of GM crops. Instead, we will have a farming system that works with nature, not against it.