Get active | Pen an opinion
WHAT TO WRITE AND WHO TO WRITE TO
Why write?A simple formula
Write to your government
Write to food suppliers:
Who else to write to?
Follow up replies
Letters to the press
Why write?
Letters are very powerful: if an organisation receives a letter from a member of the public, it will assume there are 100 people out there who feel the same way, but won’t take the trouble to tell them.. This means that a group of five people writing two letters each become a thousand "voices".
Go for quantity. Write ten short letters rather than one long one. Ask two friends to do the same and show them what you have written to give them inspiration.
Don’t be discouraged by getting an obviously "standard" letter in reply. Your point will be driven home by the sheer number of opinions being presented.
Keep your letters simple:
A. State who you are, for example:
- you are a concerned individual;
- you are a customer, a constituent, a parent, a member of a green group etc.;
- you are an individual who has been made aware
- of press reports
- of a government information booklet
- of a biotechnology industry statement
- of a scientific report etc.
B. State the problem you want the person you are writing to to deal with (see on for ideas)
C. Demand action to prevent the problem.
Write to your Government
Sample letter to your MP or MSPYour address, MP/MSP name, Dear Mp/MSP name, I am concerned that the novel nature of GM foods poses a threat to my health. It is apparent that they have not been tested for safety in any meaningful way, for example, the possiblility of long-term damage to health has not been investigated. You have a clear duty, as my elected representative, to prevent GM food entering the food chain until such time as a realistic means of determining long-term safety has been developed, carried out and proven beyond reasonable doubt that these novel foods will not cause harm to any sector of the population. Yours sincerely,
Signature |
Here are some other points you might like to make:
- It is impractical and unacceptable to use the monitoring of health effects as they arise in the general population, instead of prior comprehensive safety testing.
- Safety testing must include the effects of possible interactions between different GM foods proposed for market.
- Safety testing must include the effects on the developing foetus and infant.
- Safety testing must include the effects on individuals whose immune system may be impaired, such the elderly, the malnourished and the chronically sick.
- The possibility of adverse effects from the repeated genetic pollution of successive GM crops must be investigated before releases to the environment are allowed.
- The cumulative changes in the soil due to GM plant debris and engineered DNA entering it must be investigated before releases to the environment are allowed.
- Scientists have warned that novel plant diseases will be generated from GM practices; all GM plants must be contained until this can be proven NOT to represent an inevitable and recurrent hazard.
- Companies developing GM crops must accept full and everlasting liability for any impacts, direct or indirect, caused by the crop.
- Our farmers must be protected from damage to their land and livelihoods from irresponsible marketing of GM seed.
ADDRESSES TO WRITE TO ARE:
MPs
Westminster
London SW1A 0AA
MSPs
Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh EH99 1SP
Write to food suppliers
The supermarkets control the food chain. Make sure they know your views.
SAMPLE LETTER TO SUPERMARKETSYour address, Supermarket name, Dear Sir, I am concerned that the novel nature of GM foods poses a threat to my health. It is apparent that they have not been tested for safety in any meaningful way, for example, the possiblility of long-term damage to health has not been investigated. If I am to continue to shop in your store I need your assurance that additives derived from GM processes are not permitted in your products. Yours faithfully,
Signature |
Other demands you might like to make are that all meat, eggs, poultry and dairy produce should be from animals reared on GM free feed.
HERE ARE THE ADDRESSES OF SOME SUPERMARKETS:
ASDA Stores
ASDA House
Southbank
Great Wilson Street
Leeds LS11 5AD
J. Sainsbury
Stamford House
Stamford Street
London SE1 9LL
Co-operative Retail
CWS Ltd.
FREEPOST MR 9473
Manchester M4 8BA
Somerfield Stores
Somerfiels House
Whitchurch Lane
Bristol BS14 0TJ
Marks & Spencer
Michael House
Baker Street
London W1A 1DN
SPAR
32-41 Headstone Drive
Harrow
Middlesex HA3 5QT
Safeway/Morrisons
Beddow Way
Aylesford
Near Maidstone
Kent ME20 7AT
Tesco
Tesco House
Delamare Road
Cheshunt
Hertfordshire EN8 9SL
Brand-name food producers rely very much on customer loyalty to their label rather than on care in preserving quality. Some companies have been very negligent over the GM concerns of the consumer.
SAMPLE LETTER TO FOOD COMPANIESYour address, Food company name, Dear Sir, I am concerned that the novel nature of GM foods poses a threat to my health. It is apparent that they have not been tested for safety in any meaningful way, for example, the possiblility of long-term damage to health has not been investigated. If I am to continue to buy your products, I need some assurance that they do not contain any GM material or derivatives, even if labelled. Yours faithfully,
Signature |
Other demands you might like to make are that all meat, eggs, poultry and dairy produce should be from animals reared on GM free feed.
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The Food Standards Agency Demand a complete moratorium on all GM material in the food chain, including animal feed, GM derivatives and additives, until long-term safety and absence of harmful interactions have been proven.
The Scottish FSA Office address is:
6th Floor
Write to the following bodies and point out that the long-term safety of GM food has not been ascertained. Ask if they are permitting the supply of GM food, GM derivatives and animal products from sources reared on GM feed.
Local Councils are responsible for food supplies to homes for children and the elderly, schools and special schools.
Health Boards are responsible for food supplies to the sick.
Environmental Health Departments are responsible for food quality in catering outlets.
The addresses to write to can be found in your local telephone directory.
You will receive replies from the Governemnt assuring you that "rigorous" safety assessments are being carried out. This means that they have a well defined assessment scheme which they make sure is followed. It doesn’t mean it is fully comprehensive or adequate or can prove safety. Write back and ask exactly what testing has been done to prove that the danger you identified in your letter doesn’t exist e.g. if you have asked for long-term safety testing ask exactly what rigorous long-term safety tests have been done.
Food companies will tell you that they are obeying the law which states that food has to be safe. Try asking them to prove that the GM food and derivatives they are using are safe.
You could point out to other food suppliers that they will be liable if the GM food they are responsible for causes harm.
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Consider writing lettes to local newspapers, national newspapers and magazines. It is satisfying if your letters get printed, but even if they aren’t, you will be keeping the editors’ attention focused on their reaeders’ on-going concerns about GM foods.
Golden rules on writing a letter to the press:
Who else to write to?
St Magnus House
25 Guild Street
Aberdeen AB11 6NJ
Follow up replies
Letter to the press