Letter by Eva Novotny, SGR, to Margaret Beckett, MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, 25 March 2005

A letter from Scientists for Global Responsibility to the UK Secretary of State for the Environment proposing that the successor to the Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology Commission should have a comprehensive mandate. The author advocates for a focus on sustainable agriculture, the reduction of oil dependency in farming and transport, and independent research into the long-term health and environmental effects of GM crops, while ensuring the body's membership is free from industry bias.

• The proposed replacement body should have a remit extending beyond biotechnology to include strategic advice on food, farming, and the achievement of goals for a sustainable farming sector as outlined in the 2002 Curry Report.
• The new body must address the unsustainable use of oil in conventional agriculture, specifically regarding the production of fertilisers and pesticides and the emissions from long-distance food transport.
• There is an urgent need for independent examination of data and further research into the long-term health and environmental safety of genetically modified crops, ensuring that skeptical scientists are given a fair hearing.
• To ensure neutrality, the membership of the new body should be drawn from a diverse range of experts and farmers, avoiding bias toward specific industries such as agricultural biotechnology and ensuring no member profits personally.

APA

Novotny, E. (2005). Letter by Eva Novotny, SGR, to Margaret Beckett, MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, 25 March 2005. Scientists for Global Responsibility. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/abolition-aebc

Chicago

Novotny, Eva. Letter by Eva Novotny, SGR, to Margaret Beckett, MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, 25 March 2005. Scientists for Global Responsibility, 2005. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/abolition-aebc.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Novotny |first1=Eva |title=Letter by Eva Novotny, SGR, to Margaret Beckett, MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, 25 March 2005 |publisher=Scientists for Global Responsibility |date=25 March 2005 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/abolition-aebc |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{novotny2005letter, author = {Novotny, Eva}, title = {{Letter by Eva Novotny, SGR, to Margaret Beckett, MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, 25 March 2005}}, publisher = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2005}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/abolition-aebc}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }