(Our late and beloved Membership Secretary, Graham Oster-Ritter, would have hated this time because he thought so highly of the environmental protections that governed the way he shopped safely)

Agriculture Bill Debate This Week, Thursday 16 July – Plus Tune In to Our Webinar

This is the week we expect the House of Lords to debate amendment 275, which proposes to use the UK’s Agriculture Bill to change protections enshrined in the Environmental Protection Act (1990) and deregulate gene edited organisms. There were an unusually high number of amendments tabled (91 pages of amendments for a 96 page Bill); so many that six days – July 7, 9, 14, 16, 21 and 23 – are scheduled for debate and discussion.

We understand that amendment 275, tabled by Lord Cameron of Dillington and others, will be debated on Thursday the 16th of July.

We have been overwhelmed by the number of you who have, so far, taken the time to write to George Eustice and Lord Gardiner and also to your MPs. In the run up to the debate it’s important to keep the pressure up, so please, if you haven’t already, make your voice heard.

You will find all the information you need on our action page including email links as well as links to materials that outline objections from a political, consumer and scientific point of view. These materials were produced in collaboration with our colleagues at GM Freeze and GMWatch.

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Like many civil society groups our ability to respond quickly and fully to events, to be part of important conversations and represent the views of our supporters to those in power depends on donations. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented us with several challenges on this front, but even in less stressful times funding is a constant need. If you value what we do and you can help with a donation, please DONATE NOW.

Join our webinar on gene editing and sustainability
In non-regulatory news, we have an exciting webinar coming up on July 22. We will be speaking to specialists from farming, animal welfare, biotechnology, academia and media in our 90 minute session Sense, Science and Sustainability – Can genome editing and agroecology co-exist in the sustainable food and farming mix?

The discussion is part of an ongoing collaboration between Beyond GM/A Bigger Conversation and Natural Products Global aimed at exploring the future of natural and organic farming and food. Past panel sessions at Natural Products Europe and the Nordic Organic Food Fair have shown that there is interest, confusion and conflicted loyalties and emotions as natural and organic brands, farmers, growers and the public grapple with what it is going to take to make our food system truly sustainable.

We have a powerful line-up of speakers:

Philip Lymbery, Global CEO, Compassion in World Farming
Wendy Harwood, Senior Scientist, Genes in the Environment, John Innes Centre
Guy Singh-Watson, Farmer, Founder Riverford
Sheila Dillon, Host of BBC Radio 4 Food Programme
Jack Heinemann, Professor of genetics and molecular biology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Pat Thomas, Director, Beyond GM/A Bigger Conversation will chair.

Expect a fascinating live discussion and some unexpected views. Audience members will be able to put questions to the panel in the Q&A session. You can also help to inform the discussion by submitting questions beforehand here. The webinar is free but you must pre-book your place.

Please share with anyone you think may be interested.

Pat Thomas and Lawrence Woodward

Our upcoming webinar brings together specialists from farming, campaigning, science, business and media for an in-depth discussion about whether gene editing is not just desirable but necessary if farming is to reach its goals of higher sustainability and better welfare. Read more
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