Tell USDA's AC21 Committee that GMOs are not "Safe"!

ANH-USA recently attended the USDA’s Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21) meeting. The committee’s draft report favors a policy of “coexistence” between GMO and non-GMO crops.

The committee discussed whether there should be compensation mechanisms to address economic losses by farmers where the value of their crops was reduced “by the unintended presence of GE materials.” The draft report is strongly leaning toward recommending an insurance program that non-GE farmers have to buy into that would compensate them in case their crops were contaminated by GE materials, with no liability being laid at the door of GMO farmers.

The AC21 is now accepting public comments on the draft report. Please contact USDA immediately and tell them their “coexistence” premise is wrong—GE crops are not safe, and should be banned altogether—but if GE and non-GE crops must coexist, then it is the GE farmers who should be personally responsible for contamination of non-GE crops! Otherwise they will have zero incentive to limit contamination. Please take action today—a new draft will be circulated in just a few weeks, so these comments need to be considered right away!

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Dr. Michael Schechtman, Designated Federal Official, Office of the Deputy Secretary

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Dear [Decision Maker],

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I am concerned about the direction your August 27-28 meeting seemed to be taking. Of the greatest concern is that you don't seem to be questioning the policy of "coexistence" between GMO crops and non-GMO crops. The mere fact that you are considering an insurance program that non-GMO farmers would have to buy into to compensate them for transgenic contamination is proof enough that "coexistence" does not protect non-GMO crops from being ruined.

There is no reason to believe that GMOs are harmless to humans. In fact, they have never been fully tested for safety. While there have been no long-term studies on the effect of GMOs on humans, initial studies show that genetically modified foods can cause an allergenic response. Allergies have already skyrocketed in the US, and with the introduction of GE soy in the UK, soy-related allergies rose to 50%. Scientists are seeing birth defects, high infant mortality rates, fertility problems, and sterility in hamsters, rats, mice, and livestock fed GMO soy and corn, and some hamster pups even began growing hair inside their mouths.

Your policy is an economic disaster. Transgenic contamination may destroy the possibility of organic agriculture. Crops that are contaminated cannot be certified organic. So in one stroke, the organic industry can be destroyed.

Your insurance policy proposal takes all the responsibility away from GMO farmers. They would not be responsible for paying into a fund for compensation, much less face any liability in court. The entire burden rests with non-GMO farmers, who must purchase the insurance for themselves. If GMO farmers are not held personally responsible for the contamination of non-GMO crops, they will have zero incentive to limit contamination.

Please reconsider these policies as you move forward with your discussions.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]

Protecting Natural Health