Take the flour back! Local transport & banner painting

bristol | the environment | announcement Tuesday May 15, 2012 10:49 by GM-free Bristol gmfreebristol at wildmail dot com

Take the flour back! 27th May, 12 noon, Harpenden, Herts.
Stop the open-air release of GM Wheat that contains genes ‘most similar to that of a cow’

Frequent trains run from London to Harpenden – the journey takes 30 mins from St Pancras. Transport is being organised from various parts of the country, including a bus from Bristol. Please book before May 19th. Priority to those who can’t afford public transport. Contact gmfreebristol@wildmail.com (donations of up to £20).

We will be making banners at Kebele on Saturday 15 May from 11am onwards, after a tasty vegan brunch. 14 Robertson Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 6JY. Please join us :)

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Rothamsted have planted a new GM wheat trial designed to repel aphids. It contains genes for antibiotic-resistance and an artificial gene ‘most similar to a cow’.

Wheat is wind-pollinated. In Canada similar experiments have leaked into the food-chain costing farmers millions in lost exports. There is no market for GM wheat anywhere in the world.

This experiment is tax-payer funded, but Rothamsted hope to sell any patent it generates to an agro-chemical company. La Via Campesina, the world’s largest organisation of peasant farmers, believe GM is increasing world hunger. They have called for support resisting GM crops, and the control over agriculture that biotech gives to corporations.

‘Take the Flour Back’ will be a nice day out in the country, with picnics, music from Seize the Day and a decontamination. It’s for anyone who feels able to publically help remove this threat and those who want to show their support for them.

Meet Rothamsted Park, Harpenden, Herts (30 mins from London by train) 12 noon on 27th May. At 1.30pm we’ll take a 20 minute stroll on public footpaths to the trial site.