LETTER TO Mrs MARGARET BECKETT MP
Re: New Evidence of Long-Range Pollination by Maize

Web version of a letter dated 6th February 2004 by Eva Novotny, SGR

6th February, 2004

The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett, MP
Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
Nobel House,
17 Smith Square,
London SW1P 3JR

Cc:

Mr Elliot Morley MP
Minister of State (Environment and Agri-Environment)
Nobel House,
17 Smith Square,
London SW1P 3JR

Prof Sir David King
GM Science Review Panel
Room 472,
Office of Science and Technology,
1 Victoria Street,
London, SW1H 0ET

Prof Christopher Pollock
Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment,
ACRE Secretariat,
Zone 3/G9,
Ashdown House,
123 Victoria Street,
London, SW1E 6DE

Dr Les Firbank
The Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology),
CEH Lancaster,
Lancaster Environmental Centre,
Library Avenue,
Bailrigg,
Lancaster, LA1 4AP

Dear Mrs Beckett,

New evidence has emerged that pollen from maize can cause significant hybridisation at distances as great as 3 miles. This is contrary to the prevailing view and needs to be considered in the decision about approval of GM crops for commercial growing in this country. Please read the details below, which were received by Gill Rowlands of GM-Free Cymru, from [the farmer*], who farms in Illinois.

After receiving the communication from GM-Free Cymru, I telephoned the farmer who grew the contaminating maize and asked for additional information about the affected farms, which has also been appended below. A map showing the farms is forwarded in the attachment.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Eva Novotny
Co-ordinator for GM Issues

Statement from Gill Rowlands

‘We were recently told of a farmer, …, in Illinois, whose ‘blue
maize’ has cross pollinated normal yellow maize grown 3 miles from his holding.
The nearest farm growing this blue corn, it is quite a rare crop, is 150
miles from [the farmer]’s holding. We telephoned him over the weekend to ascertain
the facts.

‘[The farmer] farms 1600 acres organically. In 2003 he grew an open
pollinated blue maize for the first time. This produces blue kernels. He received
calls from farmers with holdings 3 miles from his crop complaining that their
corn had been cross pollinated by the blue corn. They were concerned that the
blue kernels were so abundant and noticeable that they would get dockage at the
elevator from the buyer.

‘Mr […] does not share machinery, have livestock or use silage. He only
uses his own green manure (clover) and there is no import/export of other
manure. There is no way that the seed delivered to the other farms could have been
contaminated by the blue corn, as it is very rare. This was the first year
that [the farmer] had grown blue corn.

Further telephone conversations (with Eva Novotny)

At farm B on the map, which is south and slightly east of farm A (where the blue maize was grown), the contamination was estimated to be not more than 1%, a figure that probably applies to the overall field. However, the distribution was uneven: trees on the west (and south) border of the field apparently shielded the maize grown on the west side of the field, and no blue kernels were noticed there. On the north side of the field, which is the near side to farm A, blue kernels were ‘quite noticeable’.

Farmers at C and D had also complained about contamination, but no further information has been given.

Another farm, not shown on the map, borders Mr […]’s farm to the south. It is separated by a road with ditches on either side, with a distance of perhaps 100 ft between the borders of the two fields. On this maize farm, there were ‘quite a few’ blue kernels.

About weather conditions, Mr […] said there had been nothing unusual at the time of pollination of his maize. Prevailing winds are from the southwest, but the affected farms are to the south and north. He estimates that winds of about 10 miles/hour sometimes occur during the time of pollination, with higher winds sometimes occurring, as well.

A final point of interest mentioned by Mr […] is that the seed company for which one of his neighbours is growing maize requires a separation distance of at least 5 miles from any farm growing GM maize.

* For the web version of this letter, the name and contact details of the farmer have been withheld. They are available, if needed, by contacting EvaN@sgr.org.uk