Only a Few Days to Make Your Voice Heard

Next week ( week starting January 24, 2011) the United States Department of Agriculture is expected to approve Genetically Engineered (GE) Alfalfa.

As discussed in my post of last week any GE crop causes widespread GE contamination of organic and other non-GE products. As one person put it – once the genie is out of the bottle you can’t put it back.

Why is contamination by GE crops so bad?

• Genetically engineered crops have not been proven safe.  Evidence is stacking up against them all the the time. Not to mention their increased dependence on more toxic herbicides and in some case pesticides.

• If organic crops are contaminated by GE crops they cannot be labeled as organic.

Organic standards don’t allow the use of GE crops, even as animal feed.

All seed (both organic and non-organic) needs protection from the GE seed so the world can maintain diversity and avoid massive mono-culture which would be disastrous.

I don’t know about you, but if things continue the way they are going I can see the end of organic ——period.  And the end to a healthful food supply!

Why will the GE Alfalfa make such an impact?

Organic Alfalfa is a major feed crop for organic dairy and beef cattle and is a key component of pastures where most livestock is raised.  Contamination of the alfalfa will put the integrity of organic beef and milk at risk.

Contamination by GE crops not only puts organic farmers at risk it puts all of us at risk, because sooner or later we will not be able to obtain food that is healthful if things continue as they are.  A frightening future indeed!

What You Can Do

Please make your voice heard:
Contact the United States Department of Agriculture
Phone 301-851-2300
Email:  biotechquery@aphis.usda.gov   (copy and paste into an email)

and

President Obama
Phone 202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
Email: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/  (copy and paste into your browser)

and

contact your Congressperson
to find your Congressperson and their contact info copy and paste into your browser:  http://www.house.gov/zip/ZIP2Rep.html

Here is the letter I wrote to the USDA:

I strongly urge you to reject the use of  Monsanto’s Roundup Ready genetically engineered alfalfa or any other GE alfalfa.

To be concerned for us as a society and for future generations is a vote against GE crops. The USDA needs to slow down and listen to the real facts instead of just listening to Monsanto and other big agri-business. Much more research is needed before allowing use.

Allowing GE alfalfa will put all organic farmers who use alfalfa for dairy and beef cattle at risk.  Not to mention all who consume these products. Contamination is almost assured.

You need to slow down and do a real assessment of the harm that GE alfalfa could do.

Please reject the use of GE alfalfa.

Sincerely,

My letter to the President was basically the same with a few adjustments:

I strongly urge you encourage USDA rejection of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready genetically engineered alfalfa. (Or any other GE alfalfa.)

To be concerned for us as a society and for future generations is a vote against GE crops.  The USDA needs to slow down and listen to the real facts instead of just listening to Monsanto and other big agri-business.

Allowing GE alfalfa will put all organic farmers who use alfalfa for dairy and beef cattle at risk.  Not to mention all who consume these products. It is impossible to stop contamination.

In order to do the job the USDA is suppose to do – they need to slow down and do a real assessment of the harm that GE alfalfa could do.

Change that is good would be change that would not allow big agribusiness to have their way no matter what the cost to society.

Sincerely,

My letter to our Congressman started off with “Please do what you can to encourage the USDA to reject the use of GE Alfalfa —” but was basically the same as those above with a few minor adjustments.

Bottom Line

Please join me and make your voice heard. That is within our reach to do.

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