However, food use is just the tip of the GM iceberg. Far greater quantities of soya and maize go into animal feed (see below), and this too is controversial. Surveys conducted by opinion pollsters NOP in June and September 2000 found respectively 63% and 67% of the British public opposed the use of GM crops to feed animals. [3]
In response to growing consumer concern, British supermarkets have since autumn 1999 been attempting to stop the use of GM feed in the production of their meat and dairy products. Yet they have made very little progress (see table 1). One year on, some of the supermarkets now stock one or two non-GM-fed lines; most claim to be still in discussion with their suppliers.
The supermarket which has got furthest is Iceland, which from 31st September 2000 guarantees that its chickens (for both meat and egg production) are fed on entirely non-GM diets, and other livestock for primary (non-processed) meat are fed non-GM for the few weeks immediately before slaughter. [4] Yet after Iceland announced its intention to phase out GM animal feed in February 2000, its suppliers said they had difficulty obtaining non-GM feed, and Iceland had to buy 10,000 tonnes of non-GM soyameal itself, to sell to its own meat producers. [5]
Now many of the meat producers are also looking into non-GM feed. They too have had difficulty. At the end of 1999, one of the UK's largest poultry producers complained that "we were strongly considering a total switch a few weeks ago but we were unable to secure non-GM supply for forward cover already on the buying book. The intermediaries who market the soya are unwilling to make the change to wholly non-GM in their crushing plant". [6]
All this clearly shows that the demand for non-GM crops (for animal feed) far outstrips supply. (See table overleaf)
Towards the end of 2000, many other companies which sell meat and dairy products - including McDonald's and Unilever - have expressed an intention to use non-GM feed. In fact, the rush to make such declarations has been comparable to that for non-GM food ingredients in summer 1999. However, judging by the supermarket experience on animal feed, this new demand might have difficulty finding adequate non-GM supply.
Table 1 - Top 6 UK supermarkets - policies and practice on GM crops fed to animals for their meat and dairy products, Oct-Dec 1999 and Aug 2000
| Oct - Dec 1999 [7] | Aug 2000 [8] | |
| Tesco | "Our target is the eventual complete elimination of GM ingredients from animal feed... I have therefore asked our suppliers to begin the process as the next Brazilian soya crop becomes available in Spring 2000" [9] (10/12/99) | A small number of meat and dairy lines produced using non-GM feed. "Tesco have been working hard over the last two years to find ways to reduce and ultimately eliminate GM ingredients from the rations fed to our livestock. We are trying to find ways to achieve this without passing on any cost to either our customers or to our farmers" [10] |
| Sainsbury | "Now that [the elimination of GM ingredients from own-label products] has been completed, it was inevitable that we should turn our attention to the presence of GM constituents in animal feedstuffs" | Planning to introduce a limited range of non-GM-fed meat and dairy products. "We are currently carrying out an extensive investigation into cost and practicalities of GM removal from animal feed for all parts of |
| Asda / Walmart | "We are aware of moves within the industry, and are working with partners in the industry to see what the opportunities and implications are for removing GM in animal feed" (25/11/99) | "Although it is difficult to commit to timescales and it will prove a challenge, ASDA is committed to removing GM from animal feed. We are working as fast as we can to introduce a range of dairy, meat, poultry and fish fed on non-GM animal feed which, most importantly, doesn't add cost to customers" |
| Safeway | expanding their organic range and also expanding non-GM options, but won't give specifics | a non-GM-fed chicken has now been introduced; otherwise only organic products. |
| Somerfield | "We have reviewed the position with regard to animal feedingstuffs with our suppliers and we are looking to see what options may be available for the future. With regard to the particular animals and animal feedstuffs then we believe it will be easier to make changes in some areas than others" (4/10/99) | "Our policy is to currently allow the use of genetically modified crops as animal feed subject to ongoing discussions with our suppliers... We have one supplier of products who is currently avoiding the use of genetically modified ingredients in animal feed" |
| Marks & Spencer | "Inan extremely positive step, we have also become the first high street retailer to start removing genetically modified soya and maize ingredients from our animal feed." (10/9/99) | Free-range product lines use non-GM feed. "We have stated our intention to ensure that diets of our beef, lamb, pork, milk and poultry are non-GM. We are actively working with the feed industry and our suppliers to achieve this and would hope to have made good progress by the end of the year" |
From field to factory - Production, consumption and distribution of GM crops
At present almost three quarters of the world's genetically modified (GM) crop acreage is in the USA [11]. The USA is also by far the world's largest grower of both soya (48%) and maize (known in the USA as corn) (40%) as a whole [12] - the two biggest GMO cash crops. The USA is thus the most important country in production of GM crops.
We shall focus in this report on the US crops of soya and maize, which between them account for 64% of the global area planted to GM crops [13]. The piecharts below show that the majority of the crops is used in animal feed. (See pie chart opposite)
The US agricultural distribution system is geared towards handling maximum quantities of bulk, which give significant economies of scale. When a farmer harvests his crop, he will take the harvest to a local 'elevator' - a storage depot which accumulates goods from several farms until it has enough to be worth transporting (by truck, barge or train). These local elevators then deliver to larger elevators.
The crops may then either be processed in the States (for domestic use or export), or be exported as 'crude' grains / seeds / beans. [See also the Corporate Watch briefing on how the supply chain works - 'From test tube to tummy'].