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| <back | home Update About the GE-FREE Measure (SLO County) by Mike Zelina & Teresa Campbell The more people learn about genetic engineering the less they trust it. This simple but profoundly accurate statement by Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception, was proven true during the election in November with Measure Q in SLO County. Almost 50,000 residents voted to prohibit the growing of genetically engineered crops, an unknown issue, and in spite of nearly $300,000 worth of No on Q deceptive campaign advertising. Even though Measure Q was able to obtain incredible grass roots support, it did not pass. Now San Luis Obispo County is open to the genetic pollution that will occur as a byproduct of the realization of the financial hopes and dreams of large chemical companies. Gloating and arrogant, the biotech bullies predict a rosy future for GE crops in California in the near future. "The rejections of proposed bans on genetically modified crops in Butte and San Luis Obispo were major victories not only in those counties, but for agriculture statewide. Before the Nov. 2, anti-biotech groups were claiming major victories in Mendocino and Trinity counties en route to an avowed goal of banning biotech crops in California statewide. This despite the fact that there were more than 600,000 acres of transgenic crops grown in the state in 2004. That number is expected to grow significantly in the next few years," stated Harry Cline in the Western Farm Press. Local SLO citizens, like citizens all over the world, are working to keep GE crops out of their homelands but it’s a tough fight with a lot of money at stake for the proponents of this agriculture. Again, the more people know about GE, the less they trust it, so one job is to keep information flowing to the public. Even this is not so simple because, with the exception of a few rare publications like HopeDance, media isn’t likely to let us know some of the latest GE news from around the country and world. These recent (post election) news items are just a sampling of how GE crops are being pushed and resisted around the world. 12/10 Oregon attempts moratorium on "biopharming" Oregon’s Physicians for Social Responsibility wants a four-year moratorium on "biopharming" applications. Biopharming represents the latest twist on genetic modification in agriculture: splicing pharmaceuticals into the genes of staple crops. A bill seeking the moratorium would be introduced after the Legislature convenes in January. 12/9 The Corporate Attack on Organic Agriculture What could be wrong with farming in concert with nature - eliminating toxic agrichemicals and the use of genetically engineered crops? Well, plenty if you are a CEO at Monsanto, Dupont, or any number of other ‘life-sciences’ companies that have invested in an escalating smear campaign aimed at discrediting organic farming. Promulgated by such well-funded surrogates as the right-wing Hudson Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the American Chemical Society, these multinational corporations can’t stand that consumers are voting with their pocketbooks because of their discomfort with conventional farming practices and have turned organic food marketing from a small, eclectic niche into the fastest growing segment of the food industry, with over $12 billion in sales this year. 12/7 Altered crops not taking root in Japan Farmer’s hopes to grow Japan’s first crop of GM soybeans are dashed. Nation still rejecting genetically modified produce 12/7 Biotech crop safety tests flawed, new scientific paper shows A peer-reviewed scientific paper published today in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews debunks the myth that biotech or genetically modified (GM) crops are thoroughly tested, regulated and proven safe. The paper, "Safety Testing and Regulation of Genetically Engineered Foods" [1], reveals fundamental flaws in how biotech companies test and the U.S. government regulates GM crops. One claim is that such research is unnecessary. It is claimed that US citizens have eaten GM crops for years without any effect. Yet during this period many health problems have increased in the USA (including soya and maize allergies) and these have cost the US medical service dearly. There has been no attempt to find out whether these correlate in any way with GM food consumption. There has been no post-release monitoring of the population. No coroner or doctor is in a position to record any symptoms, even death, as resulting from GM foods because no-one knows what symptoms there could be. Whether or not the products are safe they are being rejected by consumers and food manufacturers. Surely the economic impact of this alone indicates the necessity of such research. 12/3 Iraq’s new patent law: A declaration of war against farmers For generations, small farmers in Iraq operated in an essentially unregulated, informal seed supply system. Farm-saved seed and the free innovation with and exchange of planting materials among farming communities has long been the basis of agricultural practice. This has been made illegal under a new law put in place by former Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) administrator L. Paul Bremer III. 11/30 Syngenta halts genetic engineering projects in Europe Syngenta, the world’s biggest agro-chemicals group based in Basel, has halted all European field trials of genetically modified plants and seed material varieties. The company will transfer all its biotechnology research activities to the USA. 11/21 Bayer CropScience finally gives up on planting in Britain Bayer CropScience has withdrawn the only two remaining applications for government permission for the seeds - a winter and a spring oilseed rape, both modified to tolerate one of the firm’s herbicides. Environmentalists cite it as one more indication that they are never likely to be grown here. California is taking the lead in preventing the spread of genetic engineering in agriculture in the United States. It is a struggle against government, corporate and university interests that have an economic incentive in the success of genetic engineering. To help in this struggle, SLO GE Free will continue to educate consumers, farmers, and our elected officials about the concerns of GE with the goal of preventing the introduction of new crops and the removal of any existing crops. We are about to enter an era of aggressiveness by chemical corporations to, as Harry stated, "increase transgenic crop acreage in California radically in the next few years." The GE Free movement must be even more vigilant to prevent this from happening. Teresa Campbell and Mike Zelina were/are the main organizers for Yes on Measure Q. It was defeated in the November election despite almost 50,000 voters voting in favor of the Measure. Hopefully the Santa Barbara GE-Free campaign can succeed when it comes before the voters. Visit http://www.slogefree.org for updates on the latest in local actions and GE news from around the world. <back | top^ |