GE Alfalfa public comments welcomed

[dominiquer60]

MOFGA Bulletin Board – January 28, 2010

Maine Organic Farmer/Gardener Associations latest e-newsletter Headline:

Action Alert: Stop Genetically Engineered Alfalfa. The US Department of Agriculture just released its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on genetically engineered alfalfa. This crop is brought to us, once again, by Monsanto. It is Roundup Ready Alfalfa, genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. USDA claims that consumers will not reject GE contamination of organic alfalfa if the contamination is unintentional or if the GE material is not transmitted to the end milk or meat product.

Please tell the USDA not to approve Monsanto’s GE Alfalfa.
Comments are due February 16, 2010. Submit comments online, http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480a6b7a1. You may also submit comments by U.S. mail. Please send two copies to: Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044. More information is available from the National Organic Coalition,http://www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/.

If you are appalled by another GE product from Monsanto and like writing letters, feel free to take action.

Erika

[Joshua Kingsley]

One thought on this is are we all going to have to pay Monsanto for our Alfalfa crop every year???? When the crop is cross pollinated you have to pay for that crop when it comes to corn ect. Our neighbors planted with RRCorn and we planted open pollinated, we got a Bill for the “genetics” in our corn due to cross pollination.
Just a question that is running through my mind about this whole thing.
Joshua

[dominiquer60]

I share your concerns Joshua, the only saving grace with Alfalfa is that generally it is best harvested before it blooms, but who lives in such an ideal world. Those that get to cutting it late or want to save seeds could have yet another financial/genetic burden to deal with. Did Monsanto assume or did they secretly test your corn for their genetics?

[Joshua Kingsley]

I think that they assumed as we never ended up paying them… we had some other friends that also got a letter and one was a high power lawyer. The end result was that I was unable to save any seed. So we have to buy seed instead.
Joshua

[Anonymous]

Someone please straighten me out please. Tell me if I am right monsanto can charge you a fee for cross pollination right we cannot charge a reciprocating charge right. Whos to say they dont come in and see your not growing there crops and grow a few acres becide your just to charge you. Now why could we not pass that charge to the other farm or share it then it wouldnt be so nice to grow there crops.

[jac]

We have a friend who lives in Brandon up in Manitoba and he says that Monsanto will fly small planes over corn fields and drop small bags of roundup. then a week later fly back over and check for dead patches.. no dead patches and they check up and if the farmer hasnt paid a limo pulls up at the door with a demand for payment !!!!! Those guys arent interested in helping 3rd world farmers or food production.. only money and control !! and that is scary to me.
John

[Joshua Kingsley]

Jimb, I think you are on the right track, there is the issue of having problems with the neighboring farms planting “the common” seed.

One of the other big issues I have with teh cross pollination is the terminator gene. If your neighbors are planting Monsanto seeds in thier garden and you have heriloom varieties you need to be aware that your seed may not grow if you save any. There is a gene that will cross onto your crops easily. This is a case where the monopoly is trying thier darndest to put everyone else out of the game.

Just my personal rant, Joshua

[jac]

Hi Joshua.. Terminator gene !!! that sounds scary. am I right to think their seed is a “one use only” thing..and they build this in deliberatly !?!?
John

[Joshua Kingsley]

YES! you are correct. you are not able to replant any of the seeds from the “infected” plant. I did a lot of research on this topic of genetic engineering plants and food stuffs when I was in school. Some of the stuff they do is really twisted and has unknown side effects.
Scary stuff, Joshua

[jac]

And this is legal !?! British government is sleep walking into this. I think your education system is more open to researching this stuff.. We have a more strict carriculum that darent touch on the contraversial.. I knew about the alleged “bumper” crop and drought resistant crops and even the dropping of roundup to check if you had paid your “royalties” but had no idea that they were building in this crap.. So.. potentialy if the majority of say wheat farmers switched to their seed and an unforeseen disease or pest that the seed wasnt imune to struck. , we could have mass crop failure in one harvest !?! this makes my blood boil.. thanks for the education Joshua.. Im away to google
John

[Anthony]

I too have heard of such technology supposedly in use. This Wikipedia Article states that though the technology is developed it is yet to be implemented commercially due to UN moratoriums as well as a pledge from Monsanto.

Other interesting reading: Monsanto is Forbes’ 2010 company of the year.

I don’t even know where to start, but I guess clicking the link in the original post can’t hurt.

[near horse]

I don’t know if this is in conjunction with the terminator gene but I thought there was seed, corn I think, that you can save the seed from BUT it won’t germinate UNLESS you treat it with their patented growth promoter – maybe an enzyme?

With regard to the law suit stuff, wasn’t there that landmark case in Canada about the RR canola that crossed into a farmers nonRR canola. I thought he eventually won, sort of (didn’t have to compensate Monsanto). I know it was big news. People talked about counter-suing for “criminal trespass” of RR canola onto his property – I think that’s fair.

There needs to be some ruling (I know how much many folks don’t like more laws but …) that says, you can plant and grow RR crops under the following conditions:

1) if your RR crop contaminates a neighboring field, you will be held liable for damages incurred to his/her crop.

2) if your RR crop contaminates a neighboring field, Monsanto or other patent holder is NOT entitled to any compensation nor say so in the end use of the neighbors crop/seed as long as the neighbor does not take advantage of the patented gene (EX – not spray Round-Up on the crop).

3)The user of RR seed (or other GMO) is REQUIRED to clearly label and identify all products for sale or trade as a “product of genetically modified seed”, including products that come from the consumption of the GMO – in other words, milk – meat – eggs – wool – veggies – …..

I know that there are other serious concerns about allowing GMOs loose in the environment but the 3 conditions I listed AT LEAST allow fair treatment of those who don’t want to use Monsanto’s GMO crap as well as allowing the consumer to decide whether they want to purchase GMO stuff with their dollars. See how a free market might fix their little red wagon!

The worst of it all is much of this GMO crap comes from our own “land grant universities” where the gene jockeys get nice fat grants from Monsanto to look into this stuff – the universities are proud of how much money these guys bring in AND Monsanto, DuPont etc get the patent rights. This stuff is “dirty” science. You (and anyone associated with the project) are required to sign a confidentiality agreement that you can’t release information regarding the study without approval from the company. That’s why when stuff doesn’t work the way company wants, you never hear about it. I’m speaking from experience on this one.

[dominiquer60]

http://www.percyschmeiser.com/conflict.htm
http://www.percyschmeiser.com/

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