The Church maintained the serf system in the Middle Ages, were huge land
owners themselves, and were hand-in-glove with the State. Later the landed
gentry controlled more and more of the land. By the end of the eighteenth
century the industrial revolution was in full swing in the UK and at the
turn of the nineteenth century only 30% made their living on the land. Land
enclosure during the nineteenth century put more and more power into the
hands of fewer and fewer people and the rural poor were expelled from
previously common land and forced into towns. Even worse were the land
clearances, most notorious in Scotland, in the mid-nineteenth century where
huge tracts of land were cleared of people for sheep farming. Hence the
large emmigration to Canada and the USA at that time.
Basically, the British were thrown off their land by powerful and ruthless
business interests (sound familiar?). The pious horticulturalist who wanted
to create paradise mentioned below were the self-same powerful land owners.
The Brits love their gardens because that is all they have left remotely
connected to the land.
Of course, my analysis is also too simplistic. Factor in other things like
island nation, two world wars, lost empire, high population on small land
area, 1% currently farming, BSE, etc, and we get a clearer insight into the
British psyche and why they oppose GM foods. All this history has made us
more cautious than some.
Anton Doroszenko
(I am British, despite the name)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jane Sooby [SMTP:jane@ofrf.org]
> Sent: Monday, August 09, 1999 8:09 PM
> To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
> Subject: why British consumers oppose GM
>
> Dear Sanet,
>
> Reading a publication by the North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX, "The
> Handbook for Fruit Explorers," Ram Fishman, 1986), I found an interesting
> insight that may explain the greater resistance to GM crops in Great
> Britain than in the U.S.:
>
> As Europe emerged from the Dark Ages, the cloistered gardens of
> monasteries
> became models for the walled gardens of the High Middle Ages. By the time
> of the Renaissance, gardening for beauty and pleasure had become a
> widespread enthusiasm of the more affluent classes, and fruit culture
> naturally benefited from this overall resurgence of horticultural
> interest.
> In many ways, this renaissance in gardening was inspired by the biblical
> image of paradise as a fruit garden. The English in particular were
> fascinated by the pious pleasure afforded the gardener skilled in the
> culture of fruit trees. While we may appreciate the English
> horticulturalist's inspiration to create a paradise imbued with sober
> Christian values, *we must also recognize in the British character a more
> earthly passion for plant life that goes back to the forest altars of
> Druid
> priests.* (p.9)
>
> ("emphasis" mine)
>
>
>
>
> Jane Sooby
> technical program coordinator
> Organic Farming Research Foundation
> P.O. Box 440
> Santa Cruz, CA 95061
> 831-426-6606
> 831-426-6670 fax
> 831-460-9713 home
> www.ofrf.org
> jane@ofrf.org
>
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