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Tell USDA that Contamination of our Food Supply is Unacceptable!

The USDA is currently seeking public comments as it reevaluates its genetic engineering regulations. This review comes at a time when recent research highlights the risks and pervasiveness of contamination of conventional crops with genetically engineered (GE) traits.

A National Academy of Sciences report found that containment of GE crops could not be guaranteed under the present system, and that the spread of genes from GE plants poses potential environmental harm. In addition, a report published just this week by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found widespread contamination of conventional seeds with GE contaminants.

Instead of seeking to control the contamination of the food supply, USDA is considering tolerating the presence of transgenic DNA in conventional varieties of seed. This could result in the agency skipping any human health and environmental review of these GE varieties before they end up in the food supply. To make matters worse, some of the GE contaminants could come from plants engineered to produce pharmaceutical drugs and industrial chemicals, products never intended for the human food supply.

Please Submit Your Comments!

Tell the USDA that the contamination of conventional varieties with GE varieties is unacceptable! Tell them to include the following determinations in the Environmental Impact Statement:

• There should be no open-air plantings of “biopharm crops”, crops engineered to produce pharmaceutical drugs and industrial chemicals;
  
  
• “Biopharm crops” should not be engineered into food crops;
  
  
• There should be no exemptions for the occurrence of low levels of unapproved varieties in the food supply; and
  
  
• There must be regulations in place to ensure that all GE crops are appropriately monitored.

The USDA allows interested parties to comment on this important issue, so please e-mail your comments today! Send comments to regulations@aphis.usda.gov, and include “Docket No. 03-031-2” in the subject line. The comment deadline is MARCH 23, 2004.

You can also submit comments via postal mail (send an original and three copies) to:

Docket No. 03-031-2
Regulatory Analysis and Development,
PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71
4700 River Road, Unit 118
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238

* * Sample comments * *

Docket No. 03-031-2
Regulatory Analysis and Development
PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71
4700 River Road, Unit 118
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238

RE: Docket No. 03-031-2

Dear Sir or Madam:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on USDA Docket No. 03-031-2 regarding the environmental impact statement you are in the process of developing for genetically engineered crops and organisms.

New evidence shows that contamination of non-genetically engineered (GE) crops with DNA from genetically engineered organisms is becoming an increasingly serious problem in this country. The National Research Council recently presented the USDA with a report addressing the need for biological confinement of genetically engineered organisms. Additionally, the Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent nonprofit alliance of more than 100,000 concerned citizens and scientists, just released a report demonstrating the pervasiveness of contamination in US supplies of non-GE corn, soybean and canola seeds.

It would be irresponsible for the USDA to ignore these recent findings and continue to allow outdoor plantings of genetically engineered crops, especially those engineered to produce pharmaceutical drugs and industrial chemicals. If open-air plantings of these “biopharm” crops are allowed, contamination of the food supply is inevitable.

I am aware that the USDA is considering allowing unapproved varieties of genetically engineered organisms to enter the food supply by exempting from regulation the occurrence of low levels of these varieties. It would be negligent for the USDA to allow varieties unapproved for human consumption to enter the food supply.

I am requesting that the following four determinations be included in the Environmental Impact Statement.

1. There should be no open-air plantings of “biopharm crops”, crops engineered to produce pharmaceutical drugs and industrial chemicals.
   
   
2. “Biopharm crops” should not be engineered into food crops.
   
   
3. There should be no exemptions for the occurrence of low levels of unapproved varieties in the food supply.
   
   
4. There must be regulations in place to ensure that all GE crops are appropriately monitored.

Thank you for taking these concerns into consideration.

Sincerely,

* * * * *

Center for Food Safety works to protect human health and the environment by curbing the proliferation of harmful food production technologies and by promoting organic and other forms of sustainable agriculture. CFS engages in legal, scientific and grassroots initiatives to guide national and international policymaking on critical food safety issues.

For more information, please visit www.centerforfoodsafety.org or call 1-800-600-6664.