On the Farm

When genetically engineered (GE) seeds first came onto the market, farmers nationwide bought into the new technology. But many farmers are now expressing concern that the introduction of these crops may have been premature. Many benefits pormised by the industry have not yet been realized.

Facing growing consumer hesitancy about agricultural biotechnology, farmers also fear the loss of export markets for their products as Japan, Canada, Mexico, South Africa and countries of the European Union reject genetically engineered foods.

For the 2000 growing season, farmers planted less GE corn due to concerns about marketability. The decline is the first since 1996.

Farmers are a threatened group. The U.S. has lost 300,000 farms since 1979. And net farm income has fallen 37% since 1997. Now some family farmers are discovering that biotechnology isn't the answer to their problems. Bioengineered crops are designed for large-scale farms that monocrop, devoting their acreage to a single crop. These farmers mostly depend on synthetic chemicals, such as herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, and heavy machinery. They have abandoned sustainable farming techniques, including naturally enriching the soil with manure and crop residue, tilling for weeds, planting cover crops, and relying on natural means of pest control, like using beneficial insects to eat pests.

As large-scaleindustrial farms expand, family farms die off. Small farmers cannot compete against giant corporate farms that make the food we eat into another market commodity.

The agriculture industry treats food as commodities--goods or merchandise to be bought, sold and traded, and, more often than not, produced far from the point of consumption. The following crops have been genetically engineered, and most are important in U.S. trade.

Corn
Our number-one agricultural commodity. In 2000, 79.5 million acres of harvested cropland in the U.S. were corn, 25% of which was genetically engineered. This includes Bt and Roundup Ready corn varieties.

Soy
The number-two U.S. agricultural commodity. Sixty percent of processed foods contain soy ingredients, and 82% of edible fats and oils consumed in the U.S. are soy-based. In 2000, 54% of the 74.5 million acres of soybeans grown in the U.S. was Roundup Ready soy.

Potato
Currently, the only GE potato is a Burbank Russet variety, marketed under the name New Leaf. This Bt-producing plant is lethal to the Colorado potato beetle--and possibly to beneficial insects.

Tomato
The first GE tomato, the Flavr Savr, was introduced commercially in 1994, but flopped because it proved tasteless. Since then, other varieties, including a cherry tomato, have been genetically engineered to delay ripening and extend shelf life.

Canola
Of the 15 million acres of canola grown in the U.S. and Canada annually, 35% is GE, mostly for herbicide-resistance. <

Cottonseed Oil
In 2000, 61% of the 15.5 million acres of cotton grown in the U.S. was genetically engineered. Every year, half a million tons of cottonseed oil makes its way into salad dressings, baked goods and snack foods. About 1.4 million tons of cottonseed meal is fed to livestock annually.

Papaya
More than one third of Hawaiian papayas have been genetically engineered to withstand the papaya ringspot virus. Organic papaya growers in Hawaii worry that the pollen from GE papaya trees will contaminate their crops.

Radicchio
Currently one variety of radicchio, called Seed Link, has been genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide glufosinate.

Squash
Several varieties of summer squash have been genetically engineered to resist mosaic viruses. Some scientists are concerned that resistance to the virus may spread to weedy relatives, such as gourds, found in the U.S., creating invasive superweeds.

Herbicide-tolerant
sugar beets, rice, wheat

Ripening controlled bananas and pineapples
These products will have an extended shelf life.

Selectively bred decaffeinated coffee

Fast-growing salmon, trout and flounder
These GE fish grow from eggs to market size in half the time of other fish (1.5 versus 3 years).

The Myth of Great Productivity and Decreased Pesticide Use Through Biotechnology

Both large and small farmers initially hoped that genetically engineered seeds would increase yields, decrease pesticide use and reduce the necessity of labor-intensive weed control. There's evidence, however, that chemical use on major genetically engineered crops, such as corn and soy, has not declined. In the case of the herbicide Roundup, sales actually increased in the first half of 1999, since it's the only herbicide that farmers can use on Roundup Ready crops.

Bt corn is intended to kill the European corn borer, but "Many corn farmers don't even spray for this insect on a regular basis," according to Dan McGuire of the American Corn Growers Association. In a few years, insect resistance developed through overexposure to Bt in crops could mean that more potent and expensive pesticides might have to be sprayed.

Nor has productivity soared as promised. In fact, when Bt cotton was grown by farmers in 1997, many found that the cotton bolls dropped, nearly ruining the crop. Both U.S. Department of Agriculture and independent studies are showing that yields of some GE crops are the same or lower than those grown from unaltered seed. A 1998 study showed that bioengineered soy produced fewer beans than nonengineered soy. And a USDA study released in July 1999 showed that genetically engineered crops had generally not improved yields or reduced pesticide costs for soy farmers.

Gene Pollution and Farmer Liability
Genetic drift occurs through the transfer of genes by wind- and insect-borne pollen. When pollen from transgenic plants fertilizes nontransgenic varieties, the offspring -- the seed or fruit -- may be "contaminated," testing positively for GE ingredients. It was discovered later that the organic corn for the chips had been raised near fields of genetically engineered corn.

Such genetic contamination could mean liability for innocent organic farmers whose crops are supposed to be GE-free. Biotech companies could also sue farmers whose crops had inadvertently been fertilized by GE pollen for growing GE seeds without permission.

Defending Farmers' Right to Choose
The biotechnology and agricultural industries have rapidly consolidated through mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Many farmers and farm groups --from Farm Aid to the American Corn Growers Association -- have expressed fear that soon only a handful of multinational corporations will make all the decisions about our food system. This would leave farmers with few choices in seeds, the chemicals used on crops and cultivation methods. Some seed varieties may simply be discontinued. Organic and nonhybrid seeds such as "heirloom," and traditional fruits or grains may be hard to come by.

Technologies that help biotech companies protect their patents, such as seed sterilization, via the "Terminator," deny farmers the right to save seed as they have traditionally done. With all of the above concerns in mind, National Family Farm Coalition and the Foundation on Economic Trends are helping farmers bring an antitrust suit against Monsanto for its takeover of the industry through mergers and acquisitions. Mothers & Others Shoppers' Campaign is mobilizing consumers to call for labeling and testing. You can help by

• urging food companies and your supermarket to label products with genetically engineered ingredients, and telling them that you want GE-free choices because of the inadequacy of safety testing to date.
• writing to your U.S. Congressional delegates, the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency to demand adequate food labeling and testing.
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