Soil Association condemns Morrisons GM policy switch

The Soil Association has castigated Morrisons’ decision to drop its GM-free feed requirement for poultrymeat and eggs as a “huge step in the wrong direction” and is now calling for all GM products to be clearly labelled.
Their comments come after Morrisons confirmed it would be permitting the use of GM feed in its poultry supply chain.
“Morrisons’ decision to drop its GM-free feed requirement for poultrymeat and eggs is a huge step in the wrong direction for a company that has long been one of the better multiple retailers in the UK, particularly in terms of its relationship with British farmers,” said a spokesman from the Soil Association.
The Soil Association told Poultry World that Morrisons’ customers would be “kept in the dark” and as a result all meat and dairy products from animals fed on GM feed should now be clearly labelled to give consumers a choice.
Carbon footprint
It also relayed fears that it could have a negative impact on carbon footprint, with more bulk soya being imported from Latin America, instead of making better use of home-produced proteins.
“As such supply chains are difficult to monitor, it is almost inevitable that some of Morrisons’ imports would come from areas where rainforest had been destroyed or ancient, wildlife-rich grasslands have been ploughed,” the Soil Association said.
But Martin Humphrey, of Humphrey Feeds said the UK was totally reliant on soya imports.
“We have little protein grown in the UK or which can be grown in the UK, because we just don’t have the intensity, or quantity of sunshine to grow these types of crops,” he said.
Although the Soil Association classified beans as protein, these weren’t a viable alternative to using soya in poultry rations, he added.
“Beans only have half the protein levels of soya. We will have to be reliant on the most sufficient form, which is soya.”
Consumer demand
The Soil Association said it found Morrisons’ decision “puzzling”, as it was counter to consumer demand and European supermarket trends.
“Carrefour – the world’s second largest retailer – recognised consumer concerns over GM and last year introduced a pioneering scheme to label their own brand meat and fish as fed on GM-free feed,” the spokesman added.
A similar scheme was underway in Germany to label GM-free products.
“If such a scheme existed in the UK, it is very unlikely that Morrisons would have taken this step, as time and again UK consumers have rejected GMO products,” said the Soil Association
“This decision means that Morrisons’ customers will be kept in the dark, and denied choice.”
But Mr Humphrey, who also runs a pullet rearing business, said anything that helps the UK poultry sector to become more competitive should be looked upon positively. “The use of GM is one of those opportunities,” he said.