FARM GROUPS CALL ON USDA TO IMPROVE GE CROP TRIALS
Posted in News, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Regulatory, Agriculture, Crop, GMOs, Wheat,Economics, Business, International, Monsanto
WASHINGTON—The United States needs to improve its regulation of field trials of crops that have been genetically modified, more than 150 groups and businesses argued last month in a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Representatives of farm organizations and other groups met last week with Vilsack, asking him to halt trials of genetically-engineered wheat. They made their request three months after USDA revealed an Oregon farmer discovered such wheat on his farm even though the crop had not been approved for commercial use.
The discovery rattled some foreign markets, causing them to suspend wheat imports from the United States.
"Market rejection of GE wheat both domestically and abroad is longstanding," the groups wrote, pointing out that the United States is the largest wheat exporter. "Export customers have made it clear that if the U.S. approves GE wheat, they will purchase all of their wheat from other countries where no GE wheat is grown."
The Organic Seed Alliance and Rural Advancement Foundation International on Wednesday brought the letter (and meeting with Vilsack) to light in a press release. Current field trials are inadequate, the letter posits, because the companies testing the crops are not subject to firm requirements, USDA lacks reliable information on the actual trials, and crop genes cannot be fully contained.
"USDA must fix its rubber-stamp approach to GE crops," argued the groups, which noted more than 400 field trials of genetically-modified wheat have been approved in the U.S. over the last two decades. "Improvements in regulations and oversight must start at the field trial stage, including a transparent investigation into the recent GE wheat event."
USDA has been investigating how Monsanto Company's genetically-engineered wheat ended up on the Oregon farm. The agency has not authorized the commercial production of the crop, which is resistant to glyphosate, a popular herbicide.
Clint Lindsey, an Oregon wheat farmer who sells his crop to a grain exporter that serves Japan, indicated the discovery hurt his business. Japan was among the markets to suspend wheat imports.
“Our customers are still asking us what measures we’re taking to ensure our wheat doesn’t include GE material," Lindsey stated in the press release issued by the Organic Seed Alliance and Rural Advancement Foundation International. “We are the ones who have to pay for testing, which increases our costs. The threat of contamination also undermines the credibility of our business."
Monsanto was authorized to test its Roundup Ready for several years. The company discontinued the program in 2005 following trials in 16 states, including Oregon. When the program was closed down, the crop samples were either destroyed or shipped to a USDA storage facility in Colorado, a Monsanto executive told reporters earlier this summer.
"The process for closing out the Roundup Ready wheat program was rigorous, well-documented and audited," Monsanto stated in a briefing available on its website.
Thomas Helscher, a spokesman for Monsanto, confirmed in June that the company planned to test new technology this summer for glyphosate-resistant wheat in North Dakota.
"The new technology for glyphosate tolerance we will be testing is different than the technology" in the wheat program that Monsanto discontinued years ago, he said in an emailed statement to Food Product Design.
The discovery rattled some foreign markets, causing them to suspend wheat imports from the United States.
"Market rejection of GE wheat both domestically and abroad is longstanding," the groups wrote, pointing out that the United States is the largest wheat exporter. "Export customers have made it clear that if the U.S. approves GE wheat, they will purchase all of their wheat from other countries where no GE wheat is grown."
The Organic Seed Alliance and Rural Advancement Foundation International on Wednesday brought the letter (and meeting with Vilsack) to light in a press release. Current field trials are inadequate, the letter posits, because the companies testing the crops are not subject to firm requirements, USDA lacks reliable information on the actual trials, and crop genes cannot be fully contained.
"USDA must fix its rubber-stamp approach to GE crops," argued the groups, which noted more than 400 field trials of genetically-modified wheat have been approved in the U.S. over the last two decades. "Improvements in regulations and oversight must start at the field trial stage, including a transparent investigation into the recent GE wheat event."
USDA has been investigating how Monsanto Company's genetically-engineered wheat ended up on the Oregon farm. The agency has not authorized the commercial production of the crop, which is resistant to glyphosate, a popular herbicide.
Clint Lindsey, an Oregon wheat farmer who sells his crop to a grain exporter that serves Japan, indicated the discovery hurt his business. Japan was among the markets to suspend wheat imports.
“Our customers are still asking us what measures we’re taking to ensure our wheat doesn’t include GE material," Lindsey stated in the press release issued by the Organic Seed Alliance and Rural Advancement Foundation International. “We are the ones who have to pay for testing, which increases our costs. The threat of contamination also undermines the credibility of our business."
Monsanto was authorized to test its Roundup Ready for several years. The company discontinued the program in 2005 following trials in 16 states, including Oregon. When the program was closed down, the crop samples were either destroyed or shipped to a USDA storage facility in Colorado, a Monsanto executive told reporters earlier this summer.
"The process for closing out the Roundup Ready wheat program was rigorous, well-documented and audited," Monsanto stated in a briefing available on its website.
Thomas Helscher, a spokesman for Monsanto, confirmed in June that the company planned to test new technology this summer for glyphosate-resistant wheat in North Dakota.
"The new technology for glyphosate tolerance we will be testing is different than the technology" in the wheat program that Monsanto discontinued years ago, he said in an emailed statement to Food Product Design.
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