[pronut-hiv] Fw: Another GE Free county in California (USA)

["Kristof & Stacia Nordin" <nordin@eomw.net>]

Great news that people in the USA are looking deeper into the issues of 
Genetic Engineering and choosing not to allow it in their areas.  I hope 
that more people around the world choose to avoid GE and instead create 
sustainable food systems.

Stacia Nordin, RD
Malawi

--- From: Susan L Roberts, JD MS RD
Director
Food & Society Policy Fellows Program
Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute
8830 NW 35th Street
Ankeny, IA 50023

 515.965.3859
 515.480.5898 (c)
 foodandsocietyfellows.org

> Another GE Free county in California

> Two days ago the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted
> UNANIMOUSLY to develop an ordinance to implement a precautionary
> moratorium on GE crops. The vote came after accepting a report from a
> subcommittee appointed by the supervisors to study the issue.
>
> I was an appointed member of this subcommittee. Amazingly, all of the
> members agreed on the findings in the report, despite the fact that this
> group was stacked with the current ag commissioner and a representative
> from the University of Cali(Novartis)Fornia Cooperative Extension, AND
> appointees included two large-scale (Farm Bureau) growers, the former ag
> commissioner, and an employee of Syngenta (Novartis).
>
> Aside from the 6 individuals just noted, the rest of the subcommittee
> voted to recommend that the supervisors enact a precautionary
> moratorium. At the hearing a large number of residents attended to voice
> their support, and for some mysterious reason NO ONE spoke against it.
>
> To read the report or find out more about the subcommittee's work see:
> http://www.santacruzhealth.org/ge/
>
> Thanks for all your efforts that laid the foundation for our report and
> the supervisors decision. For example, a chart of existing GE
> regulations from data compiled by the Center for Food Safety was
> mentioned by one supervisor as playing a role in her decision.
>
> Below is GM Watch's take, and local newspaper coverage.
>
> Phil Howard
> Santa Cruz
>
> GM WATCH daily
> http://www.gmwatch.org
> ---
> Who could argue with the findings of the report written by Santa Cruz's
> agriculture commissioner and two public health experts together with two
> appointees from each of the five supervisorial districts in the county:
>
> *State and federal laws provide inadequate oversight. The USDA does not
> know the location of many GE test sites. Some crops not approved for
> human consumption have found their way into the food supply.
>
> *Lack of safety testing leaves a potentially dangerous void in
> understanding long-term health effects of GE food, which is still
> largely unlabeled in the U.S.
>
> *Farmers worldwide have reported their crops being tainted by stray GE
> pollen, subjecting some to patent infringement lawsuits from large
> biotechnology corporations.
> ---
> County eyes ban on genetically engineered crops
> By ROGER SIDEMAN
> Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 8 2006
> http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/June/08/local/stories/02lo
> cal.htm
>
> SANTA CRUZ - The county is one step closer to seeing a ban on the
> cultivation of genetically engineered crops.
>
> Supervisors unanimously agreed Tuesday to develop an ordinance that
> would place a "precautionary" moratorium on the use of crops that carry
> transplanted genes from other species to make them more nutritious or
> easier to grow. The ordinance is being drafted, and will come before
> supervisors on June 20.
>
> There are no genetically engineered, or GE, crops in Santa Cruz County,
> but the supervisors' action was prompted by a nine-month study of the
> laws and risks associated with such crops, which are being planted on a
> growing share of the world's farmland.
>
> The group that conducted the study suggested a moratorium because too
> little is known about the effects of genetically engineered organisms on
> human health and the environment. The future viability of organic
> agriculture is also at risk, the report states.
>
> Some counties, including Trinity, Mendocino and Marin already have
> imposed bans on genetically engineered crops.
>
> "There are too many concerns about the impact on crops and human
> health," said Peggy Miars, executive director of California Certified
> Organic Farmers in Santa Cruz.
>
> A minority within the study group said in an unsigned letter that the
> technology "holds promise" and that a moratorium is unnecessary since
> there's currently no interest in planting GE crops in the county.
>
> Indeed, a moratorium would be more of a preemptive move. Genetically
> engineered crops are typically corn, cotton and soybeans rather than the
> berries and lettuce crops that dominate the county's agriculture. Still,
> the potential exists for local GE crops, said Poki Namkung, county
> health officer and the report's lead author.
>
> Genetic engineering research in other areas has begun on 13 of the 39
> commercial crop and flower varieties grown in the county, including
> strawberries and apples, Namkung told supervisors.
>
> The report was written by two appointees from each of the five
> supervisorial districts, as well as the county agriculture commissioner
> and two public health experts.
>
> Among its findings:
>
> *State and federal laws provide inadequate oversight. The USDA does not
> know the location of many GE test sites. Some crops not approved for
> human consumption have found their way into the food supply.
>
> *Lack of safety testing leaves a potentially dangerous void in
> understanding long-term health effects of GE food, which is still
> largely unlabeled in the U.S.
>
> *Farmers worldwide have reported their crops being tainted by stray GE
> pollen, subjecting some to patent infringement lawsuits from large
> biotechnology corporations.
>
> The moratorium could be lifted once GE crops are better contained,
> tested and labeled.
>
> "A ban places responsibility back on the industry," said Angela Flynn,
> an organic farmer in Bonny Doon.
>
> Flynn was among about 15 people who spoke in favor of the ban Tuesday.
> No one was against it.
>
> "I am one of the 76 percent of Santa Cruz residents who buys organic
> foods on a regular basis," said Gavilan College instructor Debra Klein,
> citing a well-publicized study. "The looming prospect of unregulated GE
> foods being sold in our grocery stores and farmers markets is horrifying
> to me, my family and friends."
>
> Supervisor Ellen Pirie agreed, describing the report's findings as
> "scary." Supervisor Mardi Wormhoudt said a ban would be "only prudent
> when 65 nations already have regulations."
>
> "Hopefully other communities in California will see this," said
> Supervisor Mark Stone.
>
> During the meeting, Supervisor Tony Campos, whose district spans most of
> the county's farmland, was quiet on the subject and did not return calls
> later Tuesday.
>
> County Agricultural Commissioner Dave Moeller noted that supervisors
> already passed a law in 1988 that requires that the county be notified
> before genetically modified crops are planted. Down the road, additional
> regulations could hurt local farmers if GE technology takes off, Moeller
> said.
>
> A anonymous minority within the study group disagreed with a moratorium.
> In their letter, they wrote:
>
> "We do not want to close the door on those opportunities for increased
> yields, reduced pesticide use ... which results in cleaner water and air
> through reduced emissions."
>
> The comments echo sentiments heard in counties where similar bans have
> failed and where GE crops have been touted by their producers and many
> scientists as the future of farming, improving agriculture and even
> human health.
>
> Though the letter was unsigned, Moeller was later identified as one of
> its authors, along with Richard Nutter, Steve Bontadelli and Thomas
> Rider - all of whom participated in creating the report.
>
> Moeller later said that the minority group agrees with the report's
> general findings.
>
> The report can be found online at: http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us
>
> Contact Roger Sideman at rsideman@santacruzsentinel.com