GM-free businesses speak out for Earth Day

Hundreds of businesses throughout Ireland have declared themselves GM-free zones as part of an initiative to coincide with Earth Day 2005.

The cross-border initiative was co-ordinated by the GM-free Ireland Network, a coalition of farming organisations, businesses, environmental groups and others opposed to genetically modified foods.

The network claimed the authorities in the North and the Republic were failing to represent the views of the public by favouring the introduction of GM crops in Ireland.

Various groups oppose such crops for different reasons, including health fears, the possibility of cross-contamination and that fact that the crops are usually patented by multinational companies.