As a non academic, I have been trying to look into DEFRA's push for GM Animal Feed (from Argentina and Brazil). I am hoping to get in touch with someone who understands the DEFRA's TAP model, possibly not from Southampton University.

I am a member of my local Transition Town group. The Transition movement is not a lobbying movement but I personally have concerns regarding the safety of GM food, clones, nanotechnolgy etc and concerns regarding control of the food supply in general. Science appears to be running before it can walk. I understand that there have been secret GM fish trials at Southampton University.

Link to secret GM Fish trails at Southampton University
http://www.poptel.org.uk/panap/latest/gmfish.htm
GM safety @ Southhampton University
http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/56061/

Has anyone any thoughts on non GM Animal Feed i.e. we are being told there is not enough of it? 

Why does this seem to be a problem for DEFRA and the EU?

What can be done regarding the supply of non GM animal feed? We also need to think about peak oil and local production.

I came across the following reports and links relating to DEFRA:

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/gm/crops/documents/foodmatters-gtap-modelling-1308.pdf
"Assessing the impact of GM animal feed restrictions in the UK/EU livestock sectors.
Report Commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), UK Government"
GEORGE PHILIPPIDIS, page 26 mentions Purdue University as a reference.

http://www.aes.ac.uk/_pdfs/_conferences/278_abstract.pdf
The 84th Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economics Society at Edinburgh Tues. 30th March and Wed. 31st March 2010
An EU-Canada bilateral trade agreement: a DefraTAP application
Elisavet Kitou1 and George Philippidis2
1 Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs DEFRA, Food and Farming Group, Area D, 4th Floor, 9 Millbank, c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR, UK, tel: +44 20 7238 1649, email: [log in to unmask]
2 Agricultural Economics Unit, Centre for Agro-Food Research and Technology (CITA), Government of Aragón, vda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain,
tel: +34 976 716356, email: [log in to unmask]

Abstract
Although there is renewed interest in the Doha negotiations, multilateral liberalisation is moving slowly. To ease concerns about the future of multilateral trade negotiations and their outcomes, countries turn to regionalisation as a second best approach by negotiating Free Trade Areas (FTA). We employ a heavily modified variant of the GTAP model that we call DefraTAP and a realistic baseline scenario to assess the impact on the economies of the UK and other EU regions as well as Canada from the negotiated Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada. We assess different directions the agreement can take in terms of product coverage and tariff reductions.

"The Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) is a global network of researchers and policy makers conducting quantitative analysis of international policy issues. GTAP is coordinated by the Center for Global Trade Analysis in Purdue University's Department of Agricultural Economics."
https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3191715.ece
Professor Sir Howard Dalton deceased
Chief scientific adviser to Defra who strove to bring rigour and credibility to the department
"He then worked as a post-doctoral fellow,at Purdue University, Indiana, 1968-70."

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20110408-907535.html
DECATUR, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 08, 2011-- 
"Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) announced today a US$1.5 million gift to Purdue University for the construction of the ADM Agricultural Innovation Center. Totaling 27,000 square feet, the ADM Center will provide enhanced classroom and laboratory space, allowing for more advanced research work by the nearly 400 undergraduate and graduate students of Purdue University's College of Agriculture."

Corpoate watch have some strong words to say about ADM, Archer Daniles Midland Company
 
Corporate Watch Report 2000 Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)

http://archive.corporatewatch.org.uk/publications/GEBriefings/controlfreaks/controlfreaks.pdf

"One of the most disturbing threats from genetic modification of crops is the trend toward greater corporate control of the food supply. Yet these two corporations have controlled the food supply for years. Both have clear corporate strategies for taking advantage of the technology, and in the process consolidating their dominance. Two supplements come with this report, giving general, background information on the two companies, their cultures and activities, and their UK presences:
• Cargill - Arrogance, Incorporated
• ADM - Supermarkup to the World"

Also
Information on ADM, http://archive.corporatewatch.org.uk/publications/GEBriefings/controlfreaks/adm2.html#Anchor-Involvement-47857,

http://archive.corporatewatch.org.uk/publications/GEBriefings/gmimport.html#Anchor-11481 and

http://archive.corporatewatch.org/publications/GEBriefings/controlfreaks/adm.pdf." 
This briefing is a supplement to the Corporate Watch report ‘Control freaks - the GMO exporters’, which analyses the roles of Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Cargill and their competitors in the supply chain for genetically-modified crops and food.This supplement gives general, background information on ADM, its culture and activities, and on its UK presence."

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/foodmattergmreport.pdf
GM Crops and Foods: Follow-up to the Food Matters Report by Defra and the FSA - August 2009

section 23
The following specific outputs from the Defra project will be published on its website:
•
What is the potential to replace imported soya, maize and maize by-products with other feeds in livestock diets? (paper by ADAS Ltd)
•
Assessing the impact of GM animal feed restrictions in the UK/EU livestock sectors (paper by George Philippidis)
•
GM Analysis Project – Supply Chain Segregation – Literature Review (paper by Promar International)
•
GM Analysis Project – Segregation of Supply Chain (paper by Promar International)
•
Summary of modelling work for Defra feed import project (paper by Defra)

Promar International
•
Summary of work on farm-level impacts for Defra feed import project (paper by Defra)

Promar International:
http://www.promar-international.com/Content/home.asp
http://www.promar-international.com/Content/servicesE.asp
"UK AGRI-BUSINESSES & AGENCIES Please click here for the list of our Services
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Del Monte 	Central Soya 	                Danone
Dole Food 	FMC Corporation 	        Ferrero
DuPont 	        Fructamine 	                H J Heinz
Monsanto 	Haarman & Reimer 	        J A Sharwoods
Nutreco International 	Huhtamaki 	Kellogg Company
Perdigão Agro-Industrial 	IFF 	                Kraft Foods
Saint Louis Sucre 	Jefferson Smurfit 	Lindt & Sprüngli
Syngenta AG 	Tetra Pak 	                Meija Seika Kaisha
                        Valio          	                Nestlé
  	  	                                                Unilever
 
Intermediaries 	Retail Foodservice 	The Consumer
Austrade 	                Allied Domecq 	         Albertson's
Chile Fresh Fruit Association 	Anheuser-Busch 	General Nutrition
Cyprus Potato Marketing Board 	Carlsberg 	Centers
Danske Slagterier 	Casa Cuervo 	       GIB
DEFRA 	               Eckes 	               Kesko
English Regional Development Agencies 	Grolsch 	Marks & Spencer
Florida Dept of Citrus 	Heineken 	McDonald's
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Meat & Livestock Commission 	Jim Beam Brands 	Mövenpick
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National Sunflower Association 	Pernod Ricard 	Supervalu
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Genus is a FTSE250 member of the London Stock Exchange and is a global company selling in 70 countries and operating in 30 countries. Genus is headquartered in Basingstoke, England, with research laboratories located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Genus is a world leader in applying science to animal breeding and its worldwide sales are made under the trade marks “ABS” (dairy and beef cattle) and “PIC” (pigs) and comprise semen and breeding animals with superior genetics to those animals currently in production."

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Company Advisers

Financial Advisers
Morgan Stanley
25 Cabot Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 4QA

Singer Capital Markets Limited
One Hanover Street
London
W1S 1YZ

Auditors
Deloiite LLP
2 New Street Square
London
EC4A 3BZ

Stockbrokers
KBC Peel Hunt
111 Old Broad Street
London
EC2N 1PH

Singer Capital Markets Limited
One Hanover Street
London
W1S 1YZ

Solicitors
Berwin Leighton Paisner
Adelaide House
London Bridge
London EC4R 9HA

Bankers
Barclays plc
1 Marsden Street
Manchester M2 1HW

Promar International is a farm and agri-food consultancy business, part of Genus plc. 

Genus are not apparently involved with GM but Monsanto etc. is a client of Promar. I have not as yet looked at the cloning issue and Genus.