Current controversies
Take action! Tell the USDA you care about GE contamination!
If ever there was a time for us as organic consumers to stand up and be counted, it is now. We need to take action — before a March 3 deadline — and tell the USDA we do care that genetically engineered (GE) crops are contaminating organics.
In an environmental impact statement on GE alfalfa, USDA declares there is no evidence that organic consumers care about GE contamination. Surveys show, however, that 75% of consumers believe they're purchasing products without GE ingredients when they buy organic.
USDA admits that an economic analysis shows GE alfalfa will hurt the organic industry and small farmers — yet it fails to analyze or suggest any possible protections.
Alfalfa isn't a crop that people eat directly but if you eat yogurt, cheese, milk, ice cream or beef — and if you believe that "we are what they (cows) eat" — then it's critically important.
This is a pivotal moment in the organic movement. This is the first time the USDA has done this type of analysis for any GE crop. The final decision will have broad implications for all GE crops. Currently, the USDA plans to allow GE alfalfa without any limitations or protections for farmers, consumers or the environment.
See talking points and instructions for submitting comments and take action today!
PCC is partnering with The Non-GMO Project by asking vendors, starting with our deli vendors, to verify that their ingredients are not genetically modified (GM). The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit collaboration of manufacturers, retailers, processors, and distributors with a common mission of ensuring the availability of non-GMO food choices.
GE corn health risks: A European study reveals health impacts on the liver, kidneys and other organs from three varieties of Monsanto’s GE corn. Researchers from Caen and Rouen Universities, and the EU Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering, based their analyses on data supplied by Monsanto.
Supreme Court to hear GE crops case: For the first time, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear a case about the risks of genetically engineered (GE) crops. The modified alfalfa seed at the heart of the dispute is engineered to be immune to Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas once was Monsanto’s attorney. Read more.
Bayer liable for GE contamination: In the first case of its kind, a St. Louis federal court jury has found a biotech company liable for contaminating the U.S. rice supply, awarding almost $2 million in compensatory damages to two farmers. The farmers sued Bayer CropScience after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in 2006 that Bayer’s unapproved GE rice escaped test plots and contaminated rice fields in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi and Louisiana.
GM crops increase pesticide use: A new report from The Organic Center, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Center for Food Safety shows that GE corn, soybeans and cotton have caused increased use of pesticides, herbicide-resistant weeds and raised questions about whether there are more pesticide residues in foods.
Monsanto under investigation: The Justice Department is investigating whether Monsanto has violated antitrust rules. At issue is how the company sells and licenses its GE seeds.
GM sugar beets stopped: A federal court has ruled that GE sugar beets were approved illegally. The judge found that planting GE sugar beets would eliminate a farmer's choice to grow non-GE crops, and a consumer's choice to eat non-GE food. USDA now must prepare an environmental impact statement and include public input.
GM wheat: Monsanto is moving ahead with plans to develop GE wheat.
GM papaya: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has lifted the regulated status of GE papaya, allowing farmers to grow it unrestricted on the U.S. mainland. Approval of GE papaya in Hawaii caused the fruit’s market value to fall and scientists have raised questions about its safety for consumers.
GM trees: The ArborGen biotech company is asking USDA for a permit to conduct open field trials of GM eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus already has become a costly, invasive species in California.