|
|
 
|
Midwest farmers share experiences of how GMOs alter market (Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004 -- CropChoice news) -- Amanda Schoenberg, The Register-Pajaronian, 09/23/04: The five-county California speaking tour, co-sponsored by the National
Family Farm Coalition and the Californians for GE-Free Agriculture
coalition of farmers and consumer organizations, focuses on the Midwest
experience with GMOs. Although only 2 percent of California's more than 350 crops are
genetically engineered, strawberries and lettuce could be affected within
two to five years, Californians for GE-Free Agriculture campaign
coordinator Renata Brillinger said. The USDA has approved 82 genetic engineering field trials for lettuce,
with most in California, while 42 different trials study strawberries.
About 50 percent of cotton in California is genetically modified,
Brillinger said. To form genetically engineered crops, scientists splice genes from plants,
bacteria and animals into seeds. GMOs appeal to some farmers because they
can produce crops with built-in insecticides or that resist common
herbicides. The most common GMOs are soy, corn, canola and cotton, Brillinger said,
and the Grocery Manufacturers of America has estimated that more than 70
percent of processed food in the United States has genetically engineered
ingredients. If biotechnology companies have their way, rice will be the next big
commodity GMO, Brillinger said. The Bayer Corporation received federal
approval for liberty link rice, which was modified to withstand its
glufosinate-based liberty herbicide, but awaits state approval. Dan McGuire, policy chairman of the American Corn Growers Association and
director for the Farmer Choice-Customer First program on GMOs, owns a
320-acre soybean and corn farm in Nebraska. McGuire told conference
participants that he does not allow genetically engineered crops on his
land. His presentation focused on the lost income for corn farmers because
international clients, representing 20 percent of the U.S. market, often
refuse genetically engineered products. From 109 million bushels of corn exported to Europe before GMOs entered
the U.S. market in 1996, U.S. farmers now send about half a million.
Prices have dropped from $3.20 per bushel in 1995 to as low as $1.80 this
year, McGuire said. "A corn price reduction of $1 per bushel costs U.S. farmers $11 billion on
the farm value of the 2004 crop alone," McGuire said. "U.S. farm policy has failed miserably," he said. "Farmers are stuck in a
policy we oppose. Wheat and rice have the luxury of learning from corn." California rice farmer Ron Lee voiced concerns about the 65 percent of
California rice being exported to Japan, Taiwan and Korea, all of which
have mandatory GMO labeling requirements. Rice growers would have to
increase spending on the costly separation of GMO products throughout
production if genetically engineered rice is allowed. George Naylor, who has grown corn and soybeans on his Iowa family farm
since 1976, told locals that farmers had been tricked by agronomists who
claimed GMOs had been tested and regulated. Separating his crops from GMOs, especially given corn's susceptibility to
cross-pollination, is becoming increasingly expensive, and even organic
seeds have been contaminated by GMOs, he said. Farmers using GMOs are not required to inform their neighbors, and the
only recommendation to avoid contamination is to construct a 1,000-foot
border, which could eliminate entire fields for small farmers, Naylor
said. Organic grower and chairperson of the California Certified Organic Farmers
Vanessa Bogenholm, who attended the conference, said she was especially
concerned about contamination of local organic farms by GMOs, given that
farmers do not have to report GMO production. Local organic farmers are pushing hard in favor of four county initiatives
banning GMOs in California and for labeling all genetically engineered
products, Bogenholm said. "If there's nothing scary in there, why not label?" she asked. Naylor advised California growers and consumers against buying into
genetically engineered plans for California. "If the system ain't broke, don't try and fix it," Naylor said. "Don't
listen to people who don't have concerns for the consumer, the environment
or the farmer." | |
