www.GMfreeScarecrows.org

Westminster, London, 23 February 2005

The GM rally andmass lobby pack

Dear Friend,

Thanks for registering to attend our GM rally and mass lobby of Parliament on 23 February2005. We are looking forward to a really enjoyable day which will have a big impact on MPsand raise the profile of GM in Parliament. You will find the following enclosed in this pack whichshould provide you with all the information you need:

1. Itinerary for the day page 3

2. Before the lobby page 4

3. Hot tips on lobbying page 6

4. What to bring page 7

5. Why a lobby page 8

6. Frequently asked questions page 10

7. Draft press release page 14

8. 12 steps to making your own scarecrow page 15

To find out if someone is organising transport in your area, or to coordinate travel with others,please check the website www.gmfreescarecrows.org.

If you are organising a coach, you should ask the driver to park in the coach bays on TothillStreet. There will be signage from there to the rally venue.

In addition to helping arrange transport, you could also help publicise the lobby in your area bydistributing more flyers or getting media coverage. To get hold of flyers, emailmailingrequest@foe.co.uk or telephone 020 7490 1555 or you can download more copies atwww.gmfreescarecrows.org.

Don’t forget to bring your scarecrows and any colourful banners and placards. We look forwardto seeing you on 23 February!

Best wishes,

Clare Oxborrow, GM Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Robert Alderson, Co-ordinator, farmCarrie Stebbings, Co-ordinator, Five Year FreezeBarbara Gill, Chairman, National Federation of Women’s Institutes

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11.30 Access to rally venue for participants.Coaches arrive and park up in TothillStreet.

12.00 Rally and speeches in the EmmanuelCentre.

13.00 Lobby instructions and campaignbriefing.

13.15 Groups start to leave Emmanuel Centrefor House of Commons.

13.30- Groups of 100 people at a time17.00 will be allowed into the House of

Commons to meet their MP.

13.30- Refreshments available at the Emmanuel17.00 Centre. Opportunities to network with

other lobbyists.

TransportUnderground: Westminster station on Jubilee,Circle and District lines; St James’s Park on Circle and District lines; Victoria on Victoria,Circle and District lines; Pimlico on Victoria line.

Rail: The Emmanuel Centre is within easywalking distance of Victoria, Charing Cross andWaterloo mainline stations.

Buses: Buses 11, 24, 88, 148, 211, 507 and 705 allrun near the Emmanuel Centre.

See www.tfl.gov.uk/buses for further information.

Car parking: Public car parks operate inAbingdon Street (access from Great CollegeStreet), Horseferry Road (access from ArnewayStreet) and Rochester Row. We suggest you tryand use public transport as parking in the areacan be difficult and expensive.

1Itinerary for the day

1. Emmanuel Centre,9-23 Marsham Street,SW1P

2. St Stephen’s Entrance,Houses of Parliament

3. Coach drop off point / pick up point,Tothill Street, SW1

3

4

Find your MP’s contact details

Check here: www.locata.co.uk/commons/ or bycalling the House of Commons Information line:020 7219 2033

Contact your MP to let themknow you will be coming to thelobby

It’s a good idea to write to your MP at the Houseof Commons, London SW1A 0AA, letting themknow that you will be coming to see them on theafternoon of 23 February (see draft letteroverleaf). If you do not hear back from your MPby a couple of days before the lobby, follow yourletter up with a phonecall, explaining that you willbe in London on the 23 February and would liketo meet with them. You can ask to speak to yourMP’s office by calling the House of Commonsswitchboard on 020 7219 3000. Often you will beput through to an assistant or researcher, who canmake a note in your MP’s diary.

Please also mention that there will be anopportunity for MPs to have their photo takenwith their constituents, and that you will be happyto forward this to your local media after theevent. The possibility of media coverage is veryattractive to MPs and this will improve the chanceof your MP turning up,

The House of Commons advises against making aspecific timed appointment with an MP during amass lobby. This is because it is not alwayspossible to guarantee lobbyists access to CentralLobby at a specific time and because MPs may beunable to keep appointments punctually. It is bestto just let your MP know you will be around onthat afternoon and ask them if they will be too.

Don’t worry if your MP can’t make it as you willstill be able to leave a card showing you havemade a visit. This will make a strong impressionon your MP.

Make a scarecrow and dig outany colourful banners

Please bring your scarecrows, placards andbanners along to make sure we form an eye-catching and colourful queue outside Parliament.

Step-by-step instructions on how to build aGM-free scarecrow are in Section 8.

2Before the lobby

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Draft letter

Your name

And address

XXXX

XXXX

XXX MP

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

Date XXX

Dear [name of MP]

Mass lobby of Parliament on the right to choose GM-free crops and food

Wednesday 23 February 2005

I am writing, as one of your constituents, to let you know that I am participating in a

mass lobby of Parliament on 23 February 2005 and to request that you are available on

that afternoon to meet me.

The lobby is being organised by Friends of the Earth, the National Federation of

Women’s Institutes, the Five Year Freeze and farm and it comes as the Government

is in the process of deciding what rules are needed to allow GM crops to be grown in

the UK, alongside conventional and organic crops. There is enormous pressure to

approve GM crops and foods, which is being fuelled by the dispute led by the US at the

World Trade Organisation.

I hope you will be available to discuss this issue, which is of great concern to me, and

crucial in ensuring that we maintain our right to grow and eat GM-free crops and food in

the UK.

There will be an opportunity to have your photo taken outside the House of Commons,

which I can later forward to the local media in our constituency.

Yours sincerely,

To receive an electronic version of this press release for youto edit, email lizw@foe.co.uk

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What will happen at the lobby?

At the rally you will be given instructions aboutwhat to do at the lobby. We will hand out thenecessary forms and explain what needs to befilled out by you and your MP. You will leave therally venue in groups – to avoid standing in aqueue in the cold for any longer than is necessary.Once you get to the House of Commons you willjoin a friendly and colourful queue. Some peoplewill have banners, placards and scarecrows. Theremay be press taking photos. There will also be agiant stilt walking scarecrow, complete withtalking crow!

How many people are allowed inat a time?

The police will allow 100 people at a time to enterthe Commons (this includes members of thepublic too). You will be led into Central Lobbyand given a Green Card to fill in with your detailsand the name of your MP. This card is then givento the House of Commons “doorkeepers”, whowill try to locate your MP to let them know youare there. If your MP is free, s/he will come andsee you for a brief chat. We suggest you wait upto 15-20 minutes. If your MP is unavailable, theywill still receive the card and so be made aware ofyour visit. Most MPs will then write to youregarding your visit, as they will be impressed bythe fact you have made so much effort to see themon this issue. Indeed the fact you have made somuch effort can often be enough to convince anMP that this really is an issue they should beconcerned about. It is a powerful way ofcampaigning and you don’t need to be an expert!

What do we want you to ask yourMP?

If you get to speak to your MP, please ask themto:

Sign Early Day Motion 406 – GeneticallyModified Organisms

This EDM calls for laws to be put into place toprevent GM contamination of non-GM andorganic crops, and ensure that biotech companiesare liable for any damage their products cause. Itcalls for these laws to be fully debated inParliament and the devolved Assemblies, and tobe in place before any further planting of GMcrops takes place. If your MP can’t, or won’t, signthe EDM, you can still ask them if they supportthe sentiments of the EDM.

Write to Margaret Beckett asking her to ensurethat the points covered in EDM 406 are includedin the forthcoming Government GM coexistenceconsultation.

Sign the European GM-free zones petition

This calls for Europe-wide coexistence laws whichinclude the right for local and regional authoritiesto decide whether GM crops are grown in theirareas.

Sign the Bite Back citizens’ objection

MPs can add their voice to over 100,000 peoplearound the world demanding that the WorldTrade Organisation throws out the US-led disputewhich is trying to use traderules to force GM intoEurope.We will give you a copy ofthe EDM, the GM-freezones petition and thecitizens’ objection on theday).

3Hot tips on lobbying

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4 What to bring

Tips for transporting scarecrows

We hope that you will be able to make and bring aGM-free scarecrow – the more we have the greaterthe visual impact on the day – see section 8 forstep-by-step instructions on how to build one.Here are some tips for transporting yourscarecrow:

• Build the basic bones of the scarecrow inadvance i.e. the frame, head, clothes and stuffingand add the finishing touches, such as hats, finalstuffing, straw etc when you get to London

• If you come by train, you could ask the guardfor a suitable place to put your scarecrows, forexample in the bike carriage if there is one.

• Bring some string so you can prop yourscarecrow upright and tie it onto something forsupport, such as the end of the carriage orluggage rack.

• If you need to take the tube or bus, carry yourscarecrow upright, as if it were an extra person.

• If you think you might struggle with theframe on your journey, carry the two polesseparately upright and make the frame when youarrive to the rally (there will be some limitedspace). Try to make sure all the extra parts areready made – these should be easy to transport ina black sack.

Alternatively, you could make a smaller version ofthe scarecrow, using children’s clothes, which iseasier to transport.

Photos

We will arrange a photoshoot with MPs outsidethe House of Commons but it’s still worthbringing your own camera.

After the lobby we will post photos onwww.gmfreescarecrows.org where you will be ableto browse through them. (We will ask for yourpermission before your photo is put on the web.) If there is a photo of your MP, or if you took oneyourself, send it to your local newspaper with apress release.

• A scarecrow

• Placards, posters or banners

• This lobbying pack

• Sensible clothes – warm and waterproof –you may have to queue for a while!

• An umbrella

• Thermos for hot drink – although teas andcoffees will be available in the EmmanuelCentre

• A packed lunch – there are plenty of cafesaround but it might be worth bringing somesandwiches

• A camera

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Why we are doing this lobby

Taking part in a mass lobby is a fun and effectiveway to campaign. You will get the chance to meetyour MP face-to-face and talk to them about yourconcerns over GM crops and food with theknowledge that hundreds of others are doing thesame thing, at the same time. Even if your MP isnot available you will be asked to fill out a cardthat will be delivered to them; they will know youwere there and why, and your visit will still havean effect. MPs really do sit up and take noticewhen their constituents feel so strongly about anissue that they make the effort to come to Londonto lobby them, and the presence of so manyconcerned voters has an impact even on thoseMPs who may get through the day without beingdirectly lobbied.

Previous lobbies have been really influential inpersuading MPs. Our last major lobby on theRecycling Bill was a crucial step in our campaignto get the Government to pass a new lawrequiring every home to have doorstep recyclingby 2010 – something the Government opposed atthe time of the lobby, but backed shortlyafterwards. The Bill subsequently became law.

Why the lobby is important forGM

Most MPs seem to regard GM as a technical issueand something for the experts to sort out. It iscrucial to educate our MPs so they are in aposition to challenge the Government and so thatthey truly represent their constituents’ concerns.

It is our belief that the UK should stay GM free.But if the Government makes the mistake ofallowing GM crops to be grown, tough rules mustbe designed to ensure no GM contaminationoccurs in order to protect consumer and farmerchoice for GM-free crops and food.

The Government has started looking at what rulesare needed on GM contamination and liabilityand we know that it is planning to allowwidespread GM contamination of non-GM foodand crops. It is also happy for GM crops to begrown in the UK and is voting in the EU to allownew GM food imports. At the same time the USGovernment is trying to force Europe to open itsborders to GM food imports through a formalcomplaint at the World Trade Organisation(WTO). This pressure has already resulted in theEuropean Commission approving two new GMfoods for import this year. And approving GMfoods could soften the ground for GM cropgrowing applications to be approved.

It is crucial that we introduce strict laws thatprevent all contamination of non-GM andorganic food. We also need to push for liabilitylaws that ensure the biotech industry pays ifanything goes wrong. With the threat of GM foodconstantly around the corner these laws arecrucial to the future of GM-free food andfarming in this country. We need to make ourvoices heard and fight back!

We will be demanding that MPs:

• Stand up for our right to choose GM freefood

• Push for strict laws that prevent GMcontamination

• Make sure that biotech companies are heldliable for any damage caused by their products

Update on the campaign

We’ve been incredibly successful in keeping GMcrops and foods out of the UK and Europe,despite enormous pressure from multinationalbiotech companies and governments like the US.Public opposition remains high, and is increasing.A Which? survey in September found that people

5Why a lobby

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felt they knew more about GM than they did twoyears ago but, unlike other technologies wherethis generally leads to a greater acceptance,people’s attitudes had actually hardened againstGM. But the more public opposition grows, themore intent the UK Government seems to be insupporting this controversial technology. It hastaken virtually every opportunity to vote for newGM food imports. And we know from its GMpolicy announcement in March 2004, where itgave the go-ahead to Bayer’s GM maize, that it ishappy to see GM crops grown here. It is onlybecause Bayer withdrew that crop, conceding thatit was ‘economically non-viable’ that the threat ofGM crops being grown here this year has beenlifted.

Meanwhile, the movement for GM-free areascontinues to grow, both in the UK and acrossEurope. Around 60 local authorities in the UKhave gone GM-free and taken steps to keep GMcrops and foods out of their areas. Hundreds

more in Europe have taken similar steps, and lastApril, a new campaign for a GM-free Europe waslaunched, to bring together all these initiativesinto a coherent lobbying force.

This lobby is part of both the wider ‘scarecrows’campaign against GM contamination and the BiteBack campaign trying to roll back WTO power.65 local Friends of the Earth groups took part ina national Day of Action in October last yearwhere eye-catching, hand-made scarecrowsattracted the public to sign thousands ofpostcards to local MPs calling for tough new lawsto prevent GM contamination. And localscarecrows activities will continue over the comingyear – to find out about the different ways to getinvolved see the Scarecrow Action Guide atwww.gmfreescarecrows.org. The Bite Backcampaign has delivered over 100,000 Citizens’Objections directly to the WTO and is telling theUS that they cannot use trade rules to force GMinto Europe.

Just two of the local groups who took part in the recent GM-free scarecrow day of action

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Farmers have been conducting selectivebreeding for years. How are GM cropsany different?

For thousands of years farmers and plantbreeders have been selecting and breeding fromplants which grow well, have a higher yield ortaste better. But this process stays within naturalbarriers which stop different species of organismsfrom breeding with each other.

Genetic modification is very different as it allowsscientists to put genes into plants from completelyunrelated organisms. It is a difficult and fairlyhaphazard procedure and there is no way tocontrol or direct what happens. New genes end upbeing inserted at random into the genetic make-up of the organism which can produceunpredictable changes with unknown health andenvironmental impacts.

I thought the threat of GM crops hadgone?

Although the GM maize that could have beengrown in the UK in 2005 has been withdrawn bythe biotech company, the threat of GM has notgone away. In the last year or so biotechcompanies have lodged 10 applications to growGM crops in Europe and if approved, these couldbe grown in the UK in the next three or fouryears. GM crops could be grown even sooner; 17varieties of a Monsanto GM maize were recentlyadded to the European Common Catalogue ofseeds and can now be grown anywhere in the EU.The varieties already had a marketing consent andwere on the national seed lists in two EU memberstates. Although these particular varieties are notsuitable for growing in the UK, there is nothing tostop UK farmers planting them if they weredetermined to do so, and this situation could ariseagain with other GM varieties more suited to UKconditions.

There is still a huge amount of pressure to pushGM crops and foods. The US and others arepursuing their legal challenge against theEuropean Union at the World Trade Organisation(WTO), trying to force European markets toaccept their GM products. It has already had animpact; in 2004, the European Commissionapproved two new GM foods for import (aSyngenta GM sweet corn and a Monsanto GMmaize), despite European member states not beingable to agree on their safety.

The Government is already looking intoputting in place coexistence legislation,so isn’t it all in hand?

The European Commission has handed over theframing of legislation on “coexistence” (betweenGM and non-GM crops) to EU member states.This reflects the difficulties of coming up withrules that prevent contamination and ensure thatthe biotech companies pay for any damage theirproducts cause.

The Government has started its coexistenceconsultation process, which will include a publicconsultation some time in 2005. However, it lookslike the Government is preparing to allowwidespread contamination (below the EU 0.9 percent food labelling threshold) in non-GM andorganic crops. We believe that any “coexistence”laws must be designed to eliminate GMcontamination (practically this means to thelowest detectable level, currently agreed to be 0.1per cent), in order to protect consumer andfarmer choice for GM-free crops and food.

In addition, due to GM contamination aroundthe world, supermarkets and food producers arefinding it harder and harder to guarantee thattheir global supply chains are GM-free. Certifyingand testing ingredients can substantially increaseproduction costs and companies may be pressured

6Frequently asked questions

11

to accept GM supplies because they become thecheapest option. We must make sure that there issufficient GM-free food available to ensure thisdoes not happen.

When is the GM coexistenceconsultation going to happen and whatis it about?

The launch of the consultation has beenrepeatedly delayed. So far DEFRA and thedevolved administrations have held a number of‘stakeholder workshops’ which are supposed toinform its final consultation paper. The latestinformation we have is that the publicconsultation will be launched some time in 2005and last for 12 weeks.

Back in March 2004, in the Government’s GMpolicy announcement, Margaret Beckett said thatthe Government would consult on:

• a proposal that farmers growing GM cropsshould comply with a code of practice on co-existence which has statutory backing, withthe aim of ensuring that unwanted GMpresence in non-GM crops is within the 0.9 per cent labelling threshold adopted by the EU

• whether a threshold below 0.9 per cent shouldapply in relation to organic production

• options for providing compensation to non-GM farmers who suffer financially because aGM presence exceeds the statutory threshold

• the provision of guidance to farmersinterested in establishing voluntary GM-freezones

This means that the Government wants to designcoexistence measures to keep GM contaminationbelow the 0.9 per cent labelling threshold. Itseems happy to allow widespread contaminationbelow this threshold. This is despite the fact thatmost food companies already operate to muchlower thresholds of 0.1 per cent, and thatconsumers demand genuinely GM-free food, notfood contaminated with up to 0.9 per cent GM.

0.9 per cent GM isn’t very much, is it?

A Which? survey in September 2004 showed that61 per cent of people are concerned about the useof GM in food production. People want to avoidGM at any level – would it be acceptable ifvegetarian sausages were allowed to containalmost 1 per cent meat? Or for almost 1 per centof free range eggs to actually come from batteryfarms? In the same way we believe it isunacceptable for so called non-GM crops andfoods to contain up to 0.9 per cent GM withoutneeding to be labelled.

Under EU law, food must be labelled ascontaining GM if more than 0.9 per cent of aGM ingredient is present. This threshold, which issupposed to allow only for any accidental orunavoidable GM contamination, was never setwith human health or environmental concerns inmind. It was a political compromise reached aftermuch heated debate in Europe. EU law evenrecognises that over time this threshold could bereduced. Therefore any rules should not bedesigned with this threshold as a limit, but mustaim to eliminate GM contamination; practicallythis means 0.1 per cent as this is the accepted limitof detection at present.

There are many ways contamination can occur,during handling, storage and processing and oncea certain level of GM contamination is allowed innon-GM crops and foods, it is likely that this willonly increase over time.

What does the World Trade Organisation(WTO) case have to do with us?

In May 2003 the United States, Canada andArgentina launched legal disputes at the WTOchallenging the European Community’s five yearlong de facto moratorium on GM food and crops.They argue that Europe’s cautious approach tothe introduction of GM has resulted in thecontravention of WTO rules and constitutes anunfair barrier to trade.

The timing and manner of the complaint is widelyseen as a warning shot to other countries not todelay or restrict the introduction of GM or theycould face a similar challenge at the WTO.

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A panel of three trade experts has been selectedto rule on the case and a decision is due in June2005 at the earliest. The EU has already brokenthe moratorium and approved two new crops forimport to Europe for human consumption,despite disagreement from Member States on thesafety of these foods. It has also asked MemberStates to vote to overturn bans introduced byseveral countries on certain GM crops that theyfelt were not safe.

We believe that it is our democratic right tochoose what we eat. Citizens in Europe havemade it perfectly clear that they reject GM foodand crops and that they want to preserve theirright to choose. It is the duty of nationalgovernments and the European Commission torepresent the best interests of their citizens, ratherthan forcing them to concede their fundamentalrights to the economic interests of third countriesand corporations.

What is this European petition for GMfree areas all about?

Across Europe, thousands of local and regionalgovernment authorities want to ban GM cropsfrom their area because of uncertainties aroundthe safety of GM foods, possible effects on theenvironment, the difficulties of growing GMcrops without contaminating conventional andorganic crops and because of demands from theircitizens for GM-free food and a GM-free localenvironment.

Current European law fails to protect these localand regional government authorities. Andinternationally, there is increasing pressure toforce GM crops into the European Union,especially via the US-led trade dispute at theWorld Trade Organisation.

The petition is calling for EU-wide legislation toinclude the democratic right of local and regionalgovernments to decide whether GM crops can becultivated in their area.

Are there any GM crops being grown here?No GM crops have been grown commercially inthe UK. There is only a small amount of GMmaize being grown in Spain, otherwise the wholeof the EU is still GM free. The Government ran aprogram of outdoor field trials of GM crops from1999-2002 – the Farm Scale Evaluations. GMvarieties of maize, beet and oilseed rape werecompared to conventional varieties to find outwhat impact growing them would have onfarmland wildlife.

Even whilst no GM crops are growncommercially, it is still important to get liabilitylaws in place. In 2000 it was discovered that morethan 6000 hectares of farmland across the EUhad been planted with GM-contaminated oilseedrape. The seeds came from Canada, and it isbelieved that contamination occurred due to crosspollination with GM oilseed rape, despite the fourkilometre separation distances used. Liability lawsshould ensure that if this happens again, farmersare compensated.

What GM foods are currently available?

There are still only a handful of GM-labelledfoods available in shops in the UK. Friends of theEarth is asking people to keep an eye out forothers and has an up to date list of what isavailable and where it is stocked here:www.foe.co.uk/gmfree

The only GM foods that have been approved forimport into the EU are varieties of GM soya andmaize, and a variety of GM sweet corn. GM foodlabelling laws and consumer opposition hasresulted in most food manufacturers removingGM ingredients from their products. However,some GM ingredients (soya and maize) may bepresent in low levels (below 0.9 per cent) inprocessed foods, without needing to be labelled.

The vast majority of GM imports of maize andsoya into Britain are in the form of animal feed.

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Is the evidence that GM crops and foodpose a threat to our health and theenvironment conclusive?

One of the problems with GM crops and foods isthat it is difficult to test their environmental andhealth safety, since methods to test them properlyare still being developed. However, there isgrowing evidence that they have the potential tocause serious problems:

• In Canada GM oilseed rape weeds have beenfound that are resistant to three herbicides.

• Researchers at Newcastle University foundthat genes from GM soya can pass intobacteria in the human gut. Because antibioticresistance genes have been put into many GMplants as markers, one impact of this could beto spread resistance to antibiotics in humansand animals.

• In Mexico, which is the world’s storehouse ofmaize varieties, widespread GMcontamination of supposedly GM-freeproduce has been found.

People have been eating GM food in theUS for years and there are no healthproblems, so surely it is safe?

It is true that GM food has been available in theUS for 8 years. However, there is no GM foodlabelling, so people don’t know when they areeating GM ingredients. Opinion polls have shownthat many Americans feel that GM is not relevantto them as they don’t know they’re eating GMingredients. When they find out that they arealready eating GM, they are unhappy. Thereforeany new health problems, such as allergies, maynot be reported as people won’t make the linkbetween the problems and eating GM food, andno studies have so far been reported.

But GM could help people in developingcountries

A technological fix will at best address thesymptoms of hunger and malnutrition, but notthe causes. Corporate control over the food chainthrough patents and the ownership of seeds mayeven exacerbate the problem. Focusing attentionon GM detracts from more accessible andsustainable methods of food production.

GM crop development is driven by thecommercial interests of US and Europeancompanies.

The major GM crops currently grown – soya,oilseed rape, cotton and maize – are designed tosupport the food and textile industries of thedeveloped world. There is currently very little GMresearch and development by private companieson staple food crops vital to developing countries.

Development organisations have also raisedconcerns; here is an excerpt from Christian Aid'srecent position statement (15 December 2004)www.christianaid.org.uk/indepth/412gmfood/

“Too much significance is placed on GM crops interms of their ability to end hunger in thedeveloping world. It has been claimed that GMcrops are necessary for the future food security ofpoor people in developing countries. Such claimsare misleading because they ignore the complexitiesof overcoming poverty and food shortages in suchcountries. The solutions to hunger and foodinsecurity lie mainly in overcoming social andeconomic barriers that limit poor people's ability tobuy or produce and sell food. A costly technologysuch as GM crops, owned by powerful corporations,risks increasing such barriers, leading to moreinequality, poverty and food insecurity”.

Scarecrows will leave their fields and make their way to London with [insert your town/area] residentson Wednesday 23 February to urge local MP [insert MP name] to protect their right to choose GM-freefood. They will converge on Westminster with hundreds of people from across the country for a masslobby of Parliament and anti-GM rally, with speakers including former Environment Minister MichaelMeacher MP.

The event, organised by Friends of the Earth, the Five Year Freeze, farm and the National Federation ofWomen’s Institutes, comes as the threat of GM food and crops is increasing. The US is leading attemptsto force GM food into Europe through a legal dispute at the World Trade Organisation, which has alreadyled to two new GM foods being approved for import into the EU.

The UK Government supports GM crops being grown here and is now deciding what rules are neededto pave their way. While nearly two thirds of people in the UK want tough rules to prevent any GMcontamination of non-GM crops and food [1], the Government seems set to allow widespreadcontamination. A public consultation, which has been repeatedly delayed, is expected this year [2].

[Insert name of local person] from [insert your town/area] said:

“GM crops are a threat to our local food, farming and environment. I can’t sit back and let theGovernment take away my right to choose GM-free food. That is why I’m making a scarecrow andjoining hundreds of others in London to urge my MP to stand up for our right to choose, for strictlaws to prevent GM contamination, and liability laws to ensure biotech companies pay if anythinggoes wrong”

Contact:[Insert your contact name and phone number]

Notes:More information about the rally and mass lobby is at http://www.gmfreescarecrows.org[1] http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/scarecrows_lobby_parliament_20072004.html[2] http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/crops/index.htm#Coexistence

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7Draft press release

Press ReleaseImmediate release (insert date)

Local scarecrows join masslobby to keep fields GM-free

Please help us get media interest in the lobby bypersonalising the press release below andsending it to your local papers, TV and radiostations about a week before the event. Add inany interesting details, for example if you havecreated a character for you scarecrow, or if youare coming with three generations of family.

Even if the media doesn’t cover it beforehand,take your own photos at the event or use the ones

we will post on the website. Send them to themedia afterwards, with an amended press release.That way you could still get coverage after theevent.

To receive an electronic version of this pressrelease for you to edit, email lizw@foe.co.uk

For help finding your local media contacts youcan call the press office at Friends of theEarth on 020 7566 1649

812 steps to making your own scarecrow

Scarecrows are traditionally used to protect crops frommarauders and we are using them as symbolic defenders ofBritain’s fields against the spread of GM. They are easy tomake and it’s great fun creating your own character.

Step 1: Collecting materials

Step 2: Putting on the shirt

Thread the shirt onto the shorter length ofwood to make the arms. It is important this isdone before the two lengths of wood arejoined together to make the cross as it will bemore difficult to get the shirt on at that point.

Step 3: Making the cross

To give the scarecrow its shape, fix the twolengths of wood together with string to createa cross. The long length will form the neck,back and leg, whilst the shorter length (withthe shirt on) will form the arms. Leaveenough room (approx 30cm) at the top of thecross to attach the head.

You can use any old clothes, bits and bobs togive your scarecrow character but there aresome essentials: two lengths of wood, oneapprox 1.8m long and the other approx 1.6m(you could use old broomsticks), a pair oftrousers, an old shirt, 1m

2of cloth, string,

scissors, thick felt tip pens or paints and lots ofnewspaper. A hat and some straw or hay is theperfect finishing touch if you can lay your handson some.

15

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Step 4: Tying the arms Step 5: Putting on the trousers

Step 6: Making braces

Feed the vertical length of wood throughone of the trouser legs until the end of thewood is poking out through the end of thetrouser leg.

Tie the cuffs of the shirt to the horizontallength of wood to secure the arms and stopthe scrunched up paper falling out, which willbe added in step 8.

To hold the trousers in position and allow forthe shirt to be tucked in, the scarecrow canbe given a pair of string braces. This can beachieved by tying one end of the string tothe front left belt loop, feeding the string overthe left arm, through the back left belt loop,across to the back right belt loop, back overthe right arm and finally tied off on the frontright belt loop. Alternatively you can usebraces if you have them.

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Step 7: Tying the legs

Tie up the bottom of the trouser legs to stopthe scrunched up paper falling out.

Step 8: Stuffing the scarecrow

Scrunch up lots of old newspaper and stuffthe legs, arms and body to give yourscarecrow its shape. A string belt can beadded to give your scarecrow a waist.

Step 10: Making the head part 2

Pull and tie the corners of the cloth togetherto make a large ball. Then tie the head ontothe neck of the scarecrow.

Step 9: Making the head part 1

Lay out the 1m2

of cloth and place lots ofscrunched up newspaper in the middle.

Step 11: Drawing the face

To give your scarecrow its character, draw onthe face using thick tipped pens or paints.You can make them happy, sad, scary orfriendly or maybe you could make yourscarecrow look like somebody famous!

Step 12: Finishing touches

If you can find some straw or hay to use ashair and to have sticking out of the arms, itwill make an amazing difference to bringingyour scarecrow to life. To give your scarecrowa finishing touch, add a hat and someaccessories, such as old buttons, badges,glitter or scarves and, finally, don’t forget togive your scarecrow a name!

The scarecrow’s message

It is important that your message – about NO toGM contamination – is attached to yourscarecrow so it’s clear what it represents. You maywish to make a placard and attach it to thescarecrow’s hand or attach a message to thescarecrow’s body. Alternatively, there will be alimited number of small placards available on theday for you to use.

Deborah T

hompson/Friends of

the Earth

Friends of the Earth Limited, 26-28 Underwood Street, London N1 7JQTel: 020 7490 1555 Fax: 020 7490 0881 E-mail: info@foe.co.uk Website: www.foe.co.uk Limited company number 1012357 January 2005