US GM crops meltdown progessing fast
As well as an article on the Montreal Biosafety Protocol deal under the
heading "GM ban possible after US U-turn" four articles in this week's UK
Farmers Weekly demonstrate how fast meltdown is hitting the GM crops
situation in the US.
1. "Prices rise, but the GM uncertainty won't go away"
2. "US farmers fear liability over GM crops"
3. "Only just waking up to the implications"
4. "Setback for GM potatoes in USA"
Farmers Weekly 4 February 2000
1. "Prices rise, but the GM uncertainty won't go away" (Extract)
Alan Guebert
[Despite some improvements in
agricultural commodity prices]
................... US farmers are wondering if they should even
bother to plant the genetically-enhanced maize and soyabean
seed this spring because all last year's questions over the selling of
GM crops still linger. Will buyers test the maize for GMs? Will
buyers pay less for GM maize next harvest? Can it be exported?
Does it need to be segregated from non-GM maize?
Despite reassurances from most US farm groups, the majority of
US grain growers have deep reservations about GM seeds this
year. A January poll conducted by Reuters at the annual
convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation's
largest farm group with more than 4m members, showed farmers
retreating from GMs: farmers plan to cut GM maize plantings
by 23%, GM soyabeans by 15% and GM cotton by 26%.
The reduced GM maize planting number is stunning, given the fact
that the dry, mild winter is likely to encourage severe insect
problems for the 2000 crop - - a perfect use for the magic seeds.
Despite this likelihood, the worry about selling the GM crop later
appears to overwhelm the agronomic advantage of using
them now.
In fact, rumours are surfacing in key US maize-growing areas that
seed companies are already severely discounting the price of
GM maize seed to encourage farmers to buy it.
Most seed companies charge an average of $30 (£19) a bag more
for GM seed than conventional seed. Farmers report some of the
companies are eliminating the extra charge entirely just to sell
what now appears to be an oversupply of GM seed. Some
farmers will buy the bargain; most will balk and stay with plans to
switch back to conventional seeds.
The fire-sale prices for GM seed may bring another worry for US
farmers in 2000 — that there is not enough non-GM maize seed
for everyone if farmers switch back to conventional maize en
masse.
Whatever the next few months bring — higher prices for the 1999
crop and a scramble for "clean" seeds as the still-dry 2000 planting
season approaches — US maize growers will spend January
worrying about doing the right thing. And presently, there
appears no right way to do it.
......................................................................................
2. "US farmers fear liability over GM crops"
US farmers fear over GM crops MORE than 30 farm groups in the
USA have told their members they are vulnerable to massive liability
by planting GM seeds.
The organisations representing tens of thousands of farmers
include the National Family Farm Coalition and the American Corn
Growers Association.
They claim poor safety testing of GM crops could leave farmers
legally liable for damage caused by pollen drift and other environme
They claim poor safety testing
of GM crops could leave farmers
legally liable for damage caused by pollen drift and other environmen-
tal impacts.
"Our big fear is neighbours
suing neighbours," says Gary
Goldberg of the Nebraska-based
AQGA. "What happens when a
farmer plants a non-GM grain
crop but testing at the elevator
finds GM content?" he asks.
"We know there is potential
pollen transfer by insects up to
four or five miles. If a farmer loses
his non-GM premium as a result,
he is going to sue neighbours plant-
ing GM crops," he says. Organic
growers are likely to do the same.
US grain buyers are now devel-
oping contracts including GM-con-
tent assurances, which farmers will
have to sign this year. Those will keep
US lawyers even busier. "Growers
will have to pay lawyers to review
these contracts to make sure they
are not going to be held liable for
contamination," says Mr Goldberg.
Farmers may have to test their
seed, because even non-GM seed
has contained some GM material,
he adds. With the Japanese
looking for less than 0.1% GM
content in non-G M certified
crops, this could be a major hurdle.
Mr Goldberg says members of his
organisation are not opposed to
GM crops, but do not believe the
risks of growing such crops have
been adequately explored.
The farm organisations are call-
ing on the seed companies to pro-
mote the sale of traditional vari-
eties until independent assess-
ments of the environmental,
health and economic impacts are
studied.
...................................................................................................................
3."Only just waking up to the implications"
North American farmers are only just waking up to the risks and
implications of using GM crops says John Kinsmen, a Wisconsin
dairy farmer and NFFC vice-president.
"Ignorance about GMOs among farmers here is very high," he says
blaming the media, government agriculture officials and universities
for presenting a one-sided pro-biotech viewpoint.
Farmers did not realise that the Food and Drug Administration
declared GM crops safe solely on the basis of research provided by
biotech companies, he says. "We need a moratorium on GM crops
and animals so their risks can be explored." He believes family
farmers have much to lose and little to gain from GM crops.
......................................................................................
4. "Setback for GM potatoes in USA"
GENETICALLY modified pota-
toes are on hold in the US, as major
processors and consumers turn
their backs on the new technology.
Speaking at the Agra Europe
Potato 2000 conference in Rome,
Oscar Gutbrod from Oregon State
University said growers had been
forced to drop GM potatoes in
response to buyer demands.
"About 80% of our production
in the US is for processing," he
said. "McDonald's, Burger King
and Wendy have all said no to GM
fries and the whole industry has
had to back off."
Commercially approved vari-
eties had included potatoes resis-
tant to Colorado beetle and potato
virus Y. As with soybeans and
maize, they had cut chemical use.
"While soya and maize go into
vegetable oil, the perception of eat-
ing GM potatoes is different, even
though they may be cooked in GM
oil," said Prof Gutbrod.
Cees van Arendonk of Dutch
potato group, Agrico, believed GM
potatoes would not be accepted in
the EU for 15 years. "Modification
which makes potato plants toler-
ant to chemical treatments is obvi-
ously against European con-
sumers' demands to strongly
reduce the use of chemicals in food
production," he said.