Model Farm Snowball

Melanie Jarman

Our campaign against genetic engineering finds inspiration in the snowball of the 80's where thousands of people cut strands of fence around the perimeter of nuclear bases. We hope to similarly harness opposition to a new and imposed technology through a participatory campaign based on a readiness to take the consequences of our actions and a refusal to remain silent in the face of a violation of our ecosystem.

All five of us took part for different reasons, as we outlined in personal statements which were given to Monsanto (the company who owned the crop), the farmer and the police. My motivation was to challenge what many of the biotechnology companies claim to be a motivating factor behind using genetic engineering in food - to improve food security. I used my statement as an opportunity to outline why I think genetic engineering and trends which treat nature as a commodity are more likely to aggravate than alleviate problems of hunger. In their statements my fellow diggers explored other concerns - the risks to the environment posed through cross-pollination or gene transfer into soil micro-organisms; the ethics of genetic engineering; the role of large corporations in promoting gene technology.

Our careful planning of the action and our keenness to communicate made our digging a celebratory event as we initiated a process which will hopefully see many others play a direct part in decisions about the most fundamental element of our lives - what we eat. Public involvement in decisions on genetically modified (GM) food has been largely absent whilst opposition is widespread. Kent Council has banned GM food from school dinners; Iceland, the major high street retailer, has banned GM food from their own brand products and a recent MORI poll found that 77% of the British public were opposed to GM food. Spend an hour leafleting outside your local supermarket to confirm that these are more than soundbite statistics. This basis, as well as the failure of government and regulatory bodies to act, reassures me that nonviolent direct action is an entirely appropriate response to the imposition of GM food in our diet.

A few days after my snowball action I took part in an early morning TV debate with a representative from Monsanto's PR department. I did not expect Monsanto to immediately put aside its claim to hold the truth on genetic engineering, despite the lack of scientific consensus and the objections raised by ecologists. What I do hope however is that at some level my action will break through to the people using the corporate PR speak. I also hope that snowball actions will break through to ordinary citizens who hold the power to effect change in their daily lives - I hope that they will be inspired to take nonviolent direct action and keep the snowball rolling.