GMOs / Organic farming
Thanks to Steph for posting this to the DFA page. I thought it'd be a good post for the blog as well.
3/7/05--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Leigh Adcock, 800-775-5227
Chris Petersen, 641-357-4090
FARMERS UNION HOLDING NEWS CONFERENCE TUESDAY, MARCH 8 ON GMO SEED BILLS
WHERE: Iowa Capitol, Room 305
WHEN: Tuesday, March 8, 8 - 8:30 a.m.
WHO: A panel of producers, both organic and conventional, economists and concerned citizens.
TOPIC: HF 202 and SF 259 would prohibit counties from regulating advertising or sale of agricultural seed. These bills have been proposed by the agribusiness lobby to allow them free access to Iowa farmland for GMO and GE seed. This is legislation in search of a problem. If passed, it will create a very real problem for conventional and organic producers who will be at risk of GMO contamination and wrongful lawsuits from seed companies.
For more information, see the letter below.
March 7, 2005
Dear Legislator,
I am writing to urge you to oppose SB 259 and its counterpart HF 202, which seek to prohibit Iowa counties from regulating agricultural seed.
Although neither bill uses the terms “GM” or “GE” seed, it is clear to us from researching these bills that they are being promoted by the biotech seed industry to guarantee their access to Iowa farm land. Our independent family farmer members do NOT want genetically modified seed contaminating their non-GMO acres, and they do not want to be targeted by agribusiness corporations in wrongful lawsuits.
Additionally, more research must be done on the safety of bio-tech crops, which is why many markets worldwide have banned the sale of GMO food products. Clearly, health, environmental, and economic issues need to be resolved before any such legislation should be considered.
This legislation is being presented as necessary to address a “crisis.” The Agribusiness Association frames it thus: “Current law does not prohibit local political entities from regulating the sale and planting of seeds. Legislation must be adopted as soon as possible before special interest groups disrupt accepted agricultural practices.” We in Farmers Union can see no crisis other than the difficulty seed companies fear they will face in penetrating the Iowa market. Their only concern is having the free and clear ability to push GMO seed to the grain producers of Iowa, whatever the consequences. Iowa’s farmers need more opportunities to diversify production in their operations to get a price, not fewer! Until the liability issues of GMO seed bag labeling instructions, contamination, drift, etc., are fully resolved by the legislature, this legislation is unacceptable.
Particularly vulnerable are Iowa’s organic farmers, who currently make up the highest growth segment of Iowa's agricultural base. We need a level playing field for all agriculture in this state. This legislation does not accomplish that goal; it only grants amnesty to the biotech industry.
Iowa Farmers Union has a lot of members who economically benefit from growing biotech crops. We also realize this technology has arrived and is here to stay in Iowa. However, its presence at times has been harmful and not fully policed to the benefit of farmers, consumers, the environment, and our health. ProdiGene, a spin-off of Des Moines-based Pioneer Hi-Bred International, faces up to $500,000 in fines for allegedly failing to properly manage sites in Iowa and Nebraska where the company tested a type of gene-altered corn for a swine vaccine.
It seems that there are enough questions unanswered to stop consideration of this legislation until it is proven that some crisis actually needs averting. Iowa Farmers Union believes at this time it is a local control issue best resolved by local government. At the very least, the legislature should allow Iowa's citizens to weigh in on this crucial topic, and not push it through without a public comment period. The Iowa code does not even contain a definition of “GMO” or “GE”; this would be an excellent time to begin that discussion. The biotech industry should not receive a free pass into Iowa without more responsible consideration from our lawmakers and citizens.
Sincerely,
Chris Petersen
President
Iowa Farmers Union
PO Box 8988
528 Billy Sunday Rd
Ames, IA 50014
800-775-5227
3/7/05--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Leigh Adcock, 800-775-5227
Chris Petersen, 641-357-4090
FARMERS UNION HOLDING NEWS CONFERENCE TUESDAY, MARCH 8 ON GMO SEED BILLS
WHERE: Iowa Capitol, Room 305
WHEN: Tuesday, March 8, 8 - 8:30 a.m.
WHO: A panel of producers, both organic and conventional, economists and concerned citizens.
TOPIC: HF 202 and SF 259 would prohibit counties from regulating advertising or sale of agricultural seed. These bills have been proposed by the agribusiness lobby to allow them free access to Iowa farmland for GMO and GE seed. This is legislation in search of a problem. If passed, it will create a very real problem for conventional and organic producers who will be at risk of GMO contamination and wrongful lawsuits from seed companies.
For more information, see the letter below.
March 7, 2005
Dear Legislator,
I am writing to urge you to oppose SB 259 and its counterpart HF 202, which seek to prohibit Iowa counties from regulating agricultural seed.
Although neither bill uses the terms “GM” or “GE” seed, it is clear to us from researching these bills that they are being promoted by the biotech seed industry to guarantee their access to Iowa farm land. Our independent family farmer members do NOT want genetically modified seed contaminating their non-GMO acres, and they do not want to be targeted by agribusiness corporations in wrongful lawsuits.
Additionally, more research must be done on the safety of bio-tech crops, which is why many markets worldwide have banned the sale of GMO food products. Clearly, health, environmental, and economic issues need to be resolved before any such legislation should be considered.
This legislation is being presented as necessary to address a “crisis.” The Agribusiness Association frames it thus: “Current law does not prohibit local political entities from regulating the sale and planting of seeds. Legislation must be adopted as soon as possible before special interest groups disrupt accepted agricultural practices.” We in Farmers Union can see no crisis other than the difficulty seed companies fear they will face in penetrating the Iowa market. Their only concern is having the free and clear ability to push GMO seed to the grain producers of Iowa, whatever the consequences. Iowa’s farmers need more opportunities to diversify production in their operations to get a price, not fewer! Until the liability issues of GMO seed bag labeling instructions, contamination, drift, etc., are fully resolved by the legislature, this legislation is unacceptable.
Particularly vulnerable are Iowa’s organic farmers, who currently make up the highest growth segment of Iowa's agricultural base. We need a level playing field for all agriculture in this state. This legislation does not accomplish that goal; it only grants amnesty to the biotech industry.
Iowa Farmers Union has a lot of members who economically benefit from growing biotech crops. We also realize this technology has arrived and is here to stay in Iowa. However, its presence at times has been harmful and not fully policed to the benefit of farmers, consumers, the environment, and our health. ProdiGene, a spin-off of Des Moines-based Pioneer Hi-Bred International, faces up to $500,000 in fines for allegedly failing to properly manage sites in Iowa and Nebraska where the company tested a type of gene-altered corn for a swine vaccine.
It seems that there are enough questions unanswered to stop consideration of this legislation until it is proven that some crisis actually needs averting. Iowa Farmers Union believes at this time it is a local control issue best resolved by local government. At the very least, the legislature should allow Iowa's citizens to weigh in on this crucial topic, and not push it through without a public comment period. The Iowa code does not even contain a definition of “GMO” or “GE”; this would be an excellent time to begin that discussion. The biotech industry should not receive a free pass into Iowa without more responsible consideration from our lawmakers and citizens.
Sincerely,
Chris Petersen
President
Iowa Farmers Union
PO Box 8988
528 Billy Sunday Rd
Ames, IA 50014
800-775-5227
posted by jon_with_no_h at 12:45 PM
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