PRESS :: Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2003

Contact: Karen Van Epen
(530) 756-8518, ext. 22

Biotech Crops Impact California Farmers
Loss of Export Market; Increased Liabilities

(Sacramento, CA) - Leland Swenson, Executive Director of Community Alliance with Family Farmers, questioned the political motives behind the Agricultural Science and Technology Expo being held this week in Sacramento. Swenson spoke last night at a Lutheran Office of Public Policy event to debate issues raised by the Expo.

Hosted by the US Department of Agriculture, the US Agency for International Development and the US State Department, the Expo showcases new biotechnology and its benefits to agricultural ministers from throughout the world who are meeting in Sacramento. Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) crops and food products have met stiff resistance in many countries.

"California farmers grow a tremendous diversity of crops, including the nation's largest harvest of fresh organic produce. In addition, much of California's production is dependent on the export market." Swenson said. "We must have enforceable rules and regulations, including defined liability, to protect California farmers from genetically engineered contamination. And in feeding a hungry world, we must be able to provide the non-GMO preference of the world’s buyers and consumers.”

"It is misleading and an injustice to say that the adoption of biotechnology will solve world hunger," Swenson said. "We must first deal with political unrest, turmoil and fraud. Countries must invest in infrastructure like transportation, storage, processing, and economic diversity if we want to reduce or eliminate hunger."

"As new technologies are developed, independent public research must be a critical component, if science is to prevail over ‘the best science money can buy’ option that prevails today," Swenson said. "Corporation after corporation has failed to reveal negative test results to the government agencies approving new technologies."

"It is most alarming that US government agencies — who are responsible to the American public for the testing and approval of new biotechnology — are spending more time and money to promote biotechnology worldwide than to monitor it," Swenson said. "They should be enforcing the regulations for producing new biotechnology crops here in the United States. Whose interests are these government agencies really representing? Is this more an event for political payback and fundraising?"

Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) is a California-based organization of rural and urban members dedicated to cultivating healthy farms, food and communities. More information about CAFF can be found on the Web at www.caff.org

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