GENETICALLY modified crops could put a nail in the coffin of traditional and organic farming in South Lakeland, Furness and Eden according to Friends of the Earth.

At the annual meeting of Cumbria County Council, FOE presented a 1,250 name petition calling on the county to become a GM-free zone.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins was among those who signed the petition.

The meeting heard local authorities have the option to introduce a GM free food policy for their in-house catering services and ban GM crops on the land they control.

Cumbria Friends of the Earth campaigner Jill Perry said: "It is impossible for GM and non-GM farms to co-exist without cross pollination and contamination."

She called on CCC to take a closer look at the issue.

CCC environment spokesman Coun Lawson Short said: "In the past the council had received legal advise explaining GM free declarations could be complex, but added the authority was willing to look at the issue again.

"We will go into this more fully. We will put a report to cabinet for detailed consideration."

l THE NFU is urging farmers all over Britain to have their say in the debate of Genetically Modified crops.

NFU members are being urged to attend forthcoming public meetings across the country which have been organised by the government's GM Debate Steering Board to stimulate the GM debate.

Michael Paske, NFU vice president, said: "We hope this initiative will make a significant contribution towards government decision making once the results of field scale trials have been published. It is vital that the voices from the farming community are heard. If GM crops are grown commercially, the co-existence of GM and non-GM production systems will be a crucial issue for all farmers."

A North West regional discussion is expected to be held at Harrogate on June 13. Further information is available to http://www.gmdebate.org.uk

May 29, 2003 14:30