Yesterday (April 19th) the Indian farming group continued their tour of Norfolk farms. Farms visited included that of Ed Cross, the Director of Farmers Link, who together with the chair of the NFU's biotechnology group, was an observer of ActionAid's Indian farmers' jury: http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/indjury.htm
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PROTEST AT THE BIG DINNER

Meanwhile yesterday evening protesters assembled outside the dining room of the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia, where the John Innes Centre were wining and dining delegates to their big pro-GM conference behind the Centre's huge plate glass wall.

Protesters scaled the building and hung down two massive banners, hung inwards towards the big window. These read, "Feeding or Fooling the World?" & "Biohazard!'

Meanwhile, at ground level 40-50 other protesters held placards, chanted, drummed and exhanged smiles with delegates within.

The JIC organisers apparently advised those at the top table to disperse themselves amongst the lesser delegates and then waited for the demonstrators to disperse, or be dispersed, in order to proceed. But while the police were present att he event, they respected the good-natured character of the protest and stayed low key without intervening.

By 9.30 those within were obviously getting rather hungry and the (possibly somewhat overcooked!) main course finally got served.

One demonstrator reported how at one point during the evening, an African delegate was handed a bun, looked quizzically at it, then up at the big 'bio-hazard' banner, before finally exchanging a grin with protesters.

We don't know whether he summoned up the courage to eat it but reports from within the JIC conference have indicated that, fittingly enough, the quality of the food being served at the event has so far been truly execrable. And these people want us to let them feed the world?!
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WHAT'S TO COME?
Friday 20th April

NGIN releases their latest report on the science communication activities of the John Innes Centre, the biotech institute hosting the largest international conference so far on GM foods in developing countries, and asks if this is an institute the developing world can trust.

5pm - Social evening at the Greenhouse, Bethel St, Norwich. The Speakers get the chance to meet  the Mayor, local Councillors, MP's, church leaders, members of the WI and farmers, press are also welcome to attend - please call to book a place as entry is by invitation only.

Saturday 21st April: Our Food: Our Future. - Free Food Fair Earlham Park from 2pm until 11pm there will be workshops, demonstrations and information covering a wide range of food and environmental issues including organic farming, healthy eating, growing your own food, renewable energy, local campaigning and more. There will also be music, children's entertainment and of course cafés. Participants include representatives of Action Aid, Greenpeace, WDM, Oxfam, East Anglian Food food Link, NEAD, Farmers Link, CWF, Allotment group, Soil association, WI, Healthy Norfolk, permaculture group.
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"While Mr Blair and his advisors still maintain that we need to develop this technology to help the poor and hungry, it is an illustration of the arrogance with which they habitually view the world that they have failed to ask the people who really matter. We have started a process that needs to be repeated globally so that the western political and scientific elite can no longer misrepresent their needs." Dr Tom Wakeford of the University of East London who organised ActionAid's ‘Farmers’ Foresight’ project in India