Genetically engineered variants of potatoes, sugar beet and other crops are known to be growing in the area. Farmers hosting test field sites in Cambridgeshire have been contacted by letter to inform them of the campaign, reassure them, and inviting them to join. The test field sites are rented by biotechnology companies. The police are also to be informed as to the peaceful nature of the action. As an act of civil responsibility , as opposed to civil disobedience the genetiX snowball action expresses participants conviction that the GE crops are liable to cause damage to other crops, through cross pollination or gene transfer and therefore people have an obligation to pull them up.
Participants are willing to risk arrest and justify their actions in a court of law.
The campaign puts the emphasis on involving many people to ensure the genetiX snowball is genuinely participatory and democratic. The GE plants will be placed in clearly labelled and sealed bags for disposal by the authorities. Participants will wear protective clothing and take safety measures to ensure genetic pollution will not spread from the site. GenetiX snowball is calling for a five year moratorium on the release of GE crops into the environment pending further research and public consultation. The government s own statutory bodies have been calling for a similar moratorium.