GM Crops Polluting Organic Farms

VANCOUVER - Mar 9/01 - STAT -- Recently, a group of US organic farmers has found detectable levels of genetically engineered DNA in some of their corn crops, including seeds.

"Those who claim ownership rights to these genes should be held liable for their uncontrolled spread in the environment and into our food," says Gunnar Rundgren, President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), which unites 730 member organizations in 103 countries.

The organic movement is firm in its opposition to any use of GMOs in agriculture, and organic standards explicitly prohibit their use. The farmers, whose seed is contaminated, have been under rigid organic certification, which assures that they did not use any kind of genetically modified materials on their farms. Any trace of GMOs must have come from outside their production areas. While the exact origin is unclear at this time, it is most likely that the pollution has been caused by pollen drift from GMO-fields in surrounding areas. However, the contamination may have also come from the seed supply. Seed producers, who intended to supply GMO-free seed, have also been confronted with genetic pollution and cannot guarantee that their seed is 100% GMO-free.

"This is more evidence that GMOs are polluting the environment in a way that is outside the control of society or the companies that have released these GMOs, and we are outraged. It means that consumers could soon be deprived of their right to choose GMO-free food, if this unwanted spread of genetically altered genes is not stopped," Gunnar Rundgren continues.

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