North American farmers warn of GM crop risks

Over a decade of growing GM crops in North America has resulted in increased corporate control of farming and reduced profits for farmers.
 
As Australian farmers prepare to plant this year’s canola crop, the North Americans will speak at forums across key canola growing regions in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales.

 In 2008, small quantities of GM canola were grown commercially in New South Wales and Victoria after these two states lifted moratoria. Western Australia has also announced that it will allow large-scale field trials of GM canola for the first time this year.
 
Moe Parr, a seed cleaner from Indiana in the United States, was sued by Monsanto in 2007 for allegedly “aiding”, “abetting” and “encouraging” GM soy farmers to break the patent law by saving seed. Unable to afford the legal fees to defend himself, Mr Parr was forced to settle out of court. As part of the settlement, Mr Parr now has to have each lot of seed he cleans tested for GM contamination and send the results to Monsanto.  
 
Mr Parr said,  “In effect I have become an unpaid enforcement officer for Monsanto. Because of GM contamination and the monopoly control of seeds by biotech companies, in the United States it is nearly impossible to go back. Farmers in Australia still have a choice about whether they want to go down the GM path or not.”  
 
Monsanto has sued thousands of US farmers for patent infringement since the introduction of GM crops in the United States, GM crops have also led to the widespread contamination of conventional crops in North America. In Canada 90% of non-GM certified canola seed is contaminated with GM material. (1)
 
Ross Murray, a farmer from Saskatchewan, Canada, grew GM Roundup Ready canola for some years. He found that it failed to deliver industry promises. Mr Murray said, “GM canola doesn’t stack up; it doesn’t yield more than conventional canola, whereas it costs more to grow. But now farmers don’t have a choice; non-GM canola has been eliminated by genetic contamination.”

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) National Variety Trials, the only independent trials of GM canola in Australia, have shown that the best yielding GM canola variety consistently produced 9-10% less than the best yielding conventional variety (2).
 
Julie Newman, Western Australian canola farmer and member of the Network of Concerned Farmers said, “GM canola will risk the livelihoods of non-GM canola farmers. The end point royalty system, under which Monsanto can deduct fees from non GM canola farmers even for accidental contamination, leaves them completely without choice.”
 
A number of states in the US have introduced laws to protect farmers. Last September the state of California passed  legislation protecting farmers from being sued by bio tech companies for accidental GM contamination. (3)
 
Concerned Australian farmers are calling on the Federal and State Governments to protect their choice and livelihood by introducing liability legislation to protect non-GM farmers from any economic losses caused by GM contamination.
 
“Our governments must put the interest of farmers before those of multinational agribusiness companies. All we are asking for is fair risk management,” Ms Newman concluded.

Notes to the editor

 1. Friesen, L., Nelson, A. & Van Acker, R. (2003) Evidence of Contamination of Pedigreed Canola (Brassica napus) Seedlots in Western Canada with Genetically Engineered Herbicide Resistance Traits, Agronomy Journal 95:1342-13472.
2. The results were published in Jan 2009. Bedggood, A. (2009) The results from the 2008 NVT GM canola trials,  http://www.nvtonline.com.au/_literature_34796/GM_Canola_Trial_Update3

3. Details about the California legislation signed by Governor Schwarzenegger on Sept. 27, 2008 can be found at: http://www.gepolicyalliance.org/action_alert_support_ab541.htm