[MattieG]

Hi All

Im looking to grow Non-GMO potatoes, mange tout, onions, carrots etc next year but how do i know if the seeds are non gmo. Do I need to buy hierloom seeds or do Thompsons/Taylors do Non-GMO seeds?

Thanks
Mattie

[mumofstig]

GM modified seeds are not available to amateur gardeners in this country - I think even farmers need special permission to grow these crops.

So buy your seeds from any UK based company 

[MattieG]

Wow... I did not know that!

I have seen non-organic Onion sets but im not sure what that means.
More research I think but thank you so much that is very good news

[Yorkie]

*Non-scientist explanation coming up*

"Organic" means it is certified as having been developed wholly without artifical chemicals (or something like that).

"GM - genetically modified" means that the DNA of the plant has been scientifically changed to alter particular aspects of the plant.  e.g. wheat to be taller, less disease resistant.  That is what is to referred to previously as being banned to the amateur gardener.

Everything else falls in the middle.

What did you mean by your phrase "non-GMO"?  Usually the phrase is non-organic, or non-genetically modified.  I've not seen the GMO together in an acronym before.

[MattieG]

Actually I have also just found this link on this site:
http://www.allotment-garden.org/grow-your-own/allotments/genetic-modification-selective-breeding

There is a certain amount of confusion over NON-GMO, does it mean organic?
I asked this at a farm the other week and the person i asked didnt even know!!!

[JayG]

I'd not seen the acronym GMO before (usually GM) but it's the same thing really (Genetically Modified Organism, which therefore covers plants and animals, presumably just to make sure nothing is left out when discussing the subject.)

Non-GMO certainly doesn't mean organic, although that word itself has several definitions and therefore can mislead.

[mumofstig]

That explains about Genetically Modification - plant genes altered artificially in a test tube!

That's not the same thing as Organic, at all. No confusion here

Organic is as explained by Yorkie above

"Organic" means it is certified as having been developed wholly without artifical chemicals

So organic seeds/fruits/veg have been gathered from a plant that has received no artificial chemicals in it's lifetime, nor been treated with any before you buy it.

[MattieG]

The problem I have is when I look at seeds none of them say Organic or GMO.
There is a huge push from the UN at the moment to not even label GM food as GM which is very very worrying so I want to make sure the food i grow is not GMO otherwise there is no point in goriwng it, i may aswell go ther supermarket where a substantial amount of food is sadly GMO.

I will confirm when I but the seeds if they are Non-GMO when I purchase.
Thanks everyone.

Mattie

[arugula]

If you buy your seeds from Garden Organic they do specify if the seeds are organic or if they are not.  Other suppliers such as T&M will probably only say if they are organic..

[fatcat1955]

I think that if you buy your seeds from a uk supplier or garden centre you are very unlikely to be offered GM seeds. I would have thought the cost of such seed would put you off in the first place.

[JayG]

Not what I'd call a great Christmas read but a lot of info HERE if you want to read the "official" UK approach to the subject.

I think it's safe to say that, since no GM crops are grown commercially in this country you therefore can't buy GM seeds in the UK either.

[mumofstig]

No GM seeds are available to buy! The Government has to consent to that, for each trial they consent to.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/gm/

You can buy ordinary seeds or Organic seeds - they will say whether they are organic or not in the catalogue. Look at the organic Gardening Catalogue, if that's what you want.
http://www.organiccatalogue.com/display.php?p=about

but you really cannot buy GM seed so don't worry about that !


sorry some of this has crossed with comments above 

[MattieG]

Everyone, I am extremely grateful for your input and information, this is realy really good news

Mattie

[JayG]

Don't be concerned about "F1" seeds either - they are produced by very careful selective breeding from other strains to produce a plant with improved characteristics, but not by GM (although they are expensive, sometimes very expensive!) 

[Trillium]

Non-GMO is more of a North American term, meaning only that the seed/crop has not been genetically modified. It has nothing at all to do with it being organic, which it can never be since it's primary 'virtue' is being resistant to Roundup. GMO's other name is 'Roundup ready'.

Even here home growers have no access whatever to GMO seeds, which at this point are primarily only for main agriculture crops like wheat, soya, corn, sugar beets, canola and a few others. To get GMO seeds, the farmer must sign very strict contracts with the supplier, and at harvest time, the farmer must give a very strict accounting for yield.

To date, the closest we can come are hybrid varieties if that's what you choose to grow.

If you don't really understand what GMO crops are, I suggest you start reading up on it so you really understand what it's all about.