Friday 7th August 1998 Immediate release PRESS RELEASE Manchester genetics campaigner featured in ‘World in Action’ programme of Monday 10th August 1998 Jo Hamilton and Melanie Jarman, Manchester residents and genetics campaigners will appear in ‘World in Action’ ITV’s flagship documentary programme on Monday 10th August 1998 [1]. The programme entitled ‘Eat Up Your Genes’ will feature Jo and Melanie, two of five women who openly uprooted genetically engineered (GE) crops at a Monsanto demonstration site at Model Farm, 10 miles outside Oxford on July 4th 1998 [2]. The World in Action programme ‘Eat up your genes’ reports on the vast array of supermarket foods that now contain genetically modified ingredients and that manufacturers don’t label. The programme also unearths new research raising doubts on the long term health effects of eating food that’s been tampered with genetically. It questions the safety tests carried out by the food industry and talks to scientists who believe the new food has been released from the lab too soon. Prior to the launch of genetiX snowball on 4th July, the five women had openly declared their intention to remove the genetically modified (GM) plants. The women believe the GM plants to be a danger to the environment and local community. They wrote to the farmer, Mr David Parker and a representative of genetiX snowball also met with him prior to the removal of plants. Jo and Melanie carried a personal statements of their reasons for taking the action and a pledge committing them to nonviolence and accountability. GenetiX snowball is calling for a five year moratorium on the release of GM crops into the environment pending further research and public consultation. The women pulled up almost 200 GM plants at the farm. The women wore protective clothing and took measures to ensure none of the GM material was spread from the site. The GM plants were sealed in bags marked with the biohazard symbol. A letter was sent to the Environment Agency asking them to safely dispose of the material. The five women were arrested for criminal damage but shortly afterwards released at the nearby village of Watlington. No charges were brought. Monsanto Plc who own the genetically engineered crop have since brought injunctions against the five women to prevent them uprooting further GM plants at its seventy ‘test field sites’ throughout Britain. They are also suing the women for unlimited damages. Jo, who went to the University of Manchester and has lived here since finishing her degree said: ‘There is overwhelming public opposition to genetically engineered food and crops. Genetically engineered food is bad for our health, bad for our environment and is based on bad science’[3] ENDS Contact (press liaison): Andrew Wood 0973 953446 or page 07654 247502 Editors Note [1]World in Action, 10th August 1998 at 8pm on ITV ‘Eat up your genes’. For further details of the programme contact Mike Large, GTV Press Office: 0171 737 8566 or mobile: 0468 261 528 [2] See release dated July 4th, ‘First arrests in Britain for pulling up Genetically Engineered crops’ from genetiX snowball. Jo is available for interview on 0161 224 4846, Melanie on 0780 1055657 or call Andrew Wood, press liaison on 0973 953 446 or page 07654 247 502 [3] A recent MORI opinion poll for GeneWatch showed 77% of the public want genetically engineered crops banned. The MORI poll also reveals that 61% of the public do not want to eat genetically modified foods. Picture Editor notes [1]Pictures of the first genetiX snowball of July 4th available. Photographs by Nick Cobbing, respected freelance photographer whose work has been published in the Guardian, Observer and Times available on Image Net (Tel: 0541 522333) under the David Hoffman section or call David Hoffman : 0181 981 5041. [2]Video footage of entire action, including the women actually digging, on DVC format available from Zoe Broughton, award winning film maker whose work has been broadcast nationally. Call 0961 181 576 genetiX snowball A campaign of nonviolent civil responsibility One World Centre, 6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS Tel: 0161 834 0295 Fax: 0161 834 8187 Press liaison: (Andrew Wood) 0973 953 446 or page 07654 247 502