FRIENDS OF THE EARTH
Press  Release

Embargo: 00:01 Friday 20th September 2002


CONSUMERS REJECT GM HONEY

People who buy honey want it to be completely GM-free a national
survey for Friends of the Earth reveals today.  An NOP poll for the
environmental campaign group found that 63 per cent of householders
that regularly bought the product want it to be free of GM materials
[1]. Earlier this week the Sunday Times reported that it had
discovered GM material in honey from beehives two miles from a site
where GM crops were being grown under government supervision [2].
Later today (Friday) the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) is
holding a one day conference to discuss GM contamination [3].

The British Beekeepers Association currently advises members to ensure
that their hives are at least 6 miles from the nearest GM test sites
to avoid GM contamination.  The BBKA publishes details of trial sites
on its web.  Honey bees are often moved around the countryside to
provide vital pollination services for fruit growers.  The value of
this service is put at £200 million. Last week the Scottish Beekeepers
Association called for a moratorium on open air planting of GM crops
[4].

This week's discovery of GM contaminated honey is not an isolated
example that BBKA precautions are well founded.

* In 1999, monitoring of pollen collection by honey bees near a GM
farm scale trial in Oxfordshire found that bees had travelled nearly
three miles (4.5km) to collect pollen from a crop of GM spring oilseed
rape [5].

* In 2000, retail samples of honey purchased in England and Austria
were found to contain GM pollen [6].

The latest survey results are similar to previous GM polls carried out
by NOP for Friends of the Earth.  In 1998, 58% of consumers said "no"
to GM material in supermarket food. In 2000, 63% of consumers support
GM-free animal feed for the production of dairy products, eggs and
meat.

Pete Riley, GM campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
"These results clearly show that the public does not want GM material
in their honey.  Beekeepers must continue to maintain their
precautions against GM contamination. But they must also tell the
Government and biotech industry that plans to commercialise GM crops
in the UK are a threat to honey producers and are totally
unacceptable."

Roger Holby, a beekeeper from Gloucestershire, said:
"The results of this poll confirm what most beekeepers already know.
Consumers want their honey to be GM-free.  Bee hives are already moved
six miles from any GM test sites to reduce the risk of contamination -
and the beekeepers foot the bill for this.  Why is it that the biotech
companies, who cause the problem, escape scott-free?  If GM seeds are
commercialised customers will either have to accept GM contamination,
or bee keepers in this country will be out of a job."

ENDS

1. The poll of 1000 people over the age of 15 was carried out by NOP
World by telephone from 30th August to 1st September 2002. The poll
found that 63% of households that regularly buy honey (at least 4
times per year) did not want it to contain GM pollen. Less than a
fifth of regularly honey consumers would accept GM pollen in their
honey.  Overall 56% of people wanted honey to be GM-free.

2. The GM material that the Sunday Times reported that it had found
came from honey from hives at Newport-on-Tay in Fife, Scotland, almost
two miles from one of 18 sites conducting trials of GM oil-seed rape

3. The British Beekeepers Association is holding its one day workshop
and conference on 'GM crops, Beekeeping and the Honey Industry' at
Stoneleigh in Surrey. www.bbka.org.uk

4. Last week  the Scottish Beekeepers Association issued the following
statement: "As a result of the request by the Executive Committee for
Local Association views on the GM crop issue and a vote taken by the
Executive  Committee at the 14th September 2002 Executive Meeting at
Perth, the following official Scottish Beekeepers' Association Policy
on GM crops was  agreed: -  The Scottish Beekeepers' Association have
determined that in the absence of all available documented scientific
evidence that GM Crops are safe to humans and the environment there
must be a moratorium on all open air planting or commercialisation of
all GM crops.  We consider that it is the responsibility of Government
to protect both beekeepers and consumers from being adversely affected
by exposure to GM contamination which, to do otherwise we consider
would contravene our Human Rights. "

5.  In 1999, an independent bee consultant Sarah Brookes collected
pollen from bees foraging near a GM spring oilseed rape (an Aventis
(now Bayer) variety) farm scale trial near Watlington in Oxfordshire.
Bees at the furthest hive from the GM field (4.5km) were found to have
collected GM pollen.

6. GM pollen from Monsanto's GM oilseed rape was found in samples of
Canadian honey on sale in June 2000.  GM pollen from Aventis' (now
Bayer) GM oilseed rape was found in honey purchased from retailers
close to GM test sites in England.

Pete Riley 020 7566 1716 (Thurs)/ 07712 843 210 (mob)

--

Neil Verlander
Press Office
Friends of the Earth
020 7566 1649 or 01223 309 308(t)
07712 843 209 (m)
07654 663 764(p)
www.foe.co.uk

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