Crop Contamination Could Ruin Small Farmers
US Rice Farmers Betrayed by Genetic Manipulators
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In this battle between the Bush administration and American values, America is the underdog. Child safety advocates, scientists, consumer protection groups, state and local governments, citizen activists, and food safety organizations are all lined up against genetically modified rice. But the federal government won't restrict it even though it has not yet passed scientific tests. |
Rice farmers in Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and California have sued Bayer CropScience, alleging its genetically modified rice has contaminated their crops, attorneys for the farmers said. The lawsuit was filed on August 28 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas in Little Rock, law firm Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll said in a statement.
The farmers alleged that the unit of Germany's Bayer AG failed to prevent its genetically modified rice, which has not been approved for human consumption, from entering the food chain.
As a result, they said, Japan and the European Union have placed strict limits on US rice imports and US rice prices have dropped dramatically.
A Bayer representative could not be immediately reached for comment.
US agriculture and food safety authorities learned on July 31 that Bayer's unapproved rice had been found in commercial bins in Arkansas and Missouri. [More recently, we learned that the contamination has also spread into Louisiana.] While the United States is a small rice grower, it is one of the world's largest exporters, sending half of its crop to foreign buyers.
The genetically engineered long grain rice has a protein known as Liberty Link, which allows the crop to withstand applications of a poisonous herbicide used to kill other plants.
The European Commission said on Wednesday the EU would require US long grain rice imports to be certified as free from the unauthorized strain. The commission said validated tests must be done by an accredited laboratory and be accompanied by a certificate.
Japan, the largest importer of US rice, suspended imports of US long-grain rice a week ago.
The US Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration have said there are no public health or environmental risks associated with the genetically engineered rice. [The Progress Report points out -- that is an irresponsible statement paid for by lobbyists. The lobbyists got the government to say that without running any scientific tests at all!]
The United States is expected to produce a rice crop valued at US$1.88 billion in 2006. US rice growers are responsible for about 12 percent of world rice trade. Three-fourths of the crop is long grain, grown almost entirely in the lower Mississippi Valley. California, the No. 2 rice state, grows short grain rice.
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Also see: Anti-Americans Attack Factual Information
Switzerland Votes for Ban on GMOs
Foldvary on Genetically Manipulated Food |
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