Opponents of genetically modified organisms rallied Saturday before the Oregon State Capitol in Salem to discuss Monsanto’s control over national agricultural business, its influence on politics through lobbying and the proliferation of GMOs in farming practices.
The “Rally for the Right to Know” was held in conjunction with rallies in other state capitols and Washington, D.C., as part of the Organic Consumers Association’s “Millions Against Monsanto” campaign.
Event organizer Sabrina Siegel, a Eugene resident, became involved with “Millions Against Monsanto” after learning about the possible health effects of GMOs.
“As a mother I became very nervous and disturbed about the whole thing,” Siegel said. “I just became worried as a parent to help all children, not just my children. It motivated me to teach people about the issue.”
Rally participants spoke of the importance of supporting legislation to require food producers to list what ingredients are genetically modified.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved GMOs for consumption, but controversy remains because of Monsanto’s close political ties with government regulating agencies. One current issue is the Obama administration’s appointment of Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto lawyer who served as the corporation’s vice president of public policy.
“The reason that GMOs are even allowed to exist is because it is to Monsanto’s tremendous financial benefit. They have slowly but surely over the last 20 years bought off our legislators to deregulate all the regulations that the FDA provides,” said JP Sayles, a speaker at the rally and author of politicalfinancereform.org. “The lobbyists will come in with a check and say we need this legislation to read this way, and they will literally write the legislation and hand it to the senator, along with a check for their campaign donations.”
In a statement to “Millions Against Monsanto,” U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a democrat from Ohio, asked participants to support three bills he plans to put before Congress to mitigate negative impacts of GMO foods. These bills include the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act, the Genetically Engineered Safety Act and the Genetically Engineered Technology Farmer Protection Act.
Monsanto has become one of the largest producers of GE agricultural products — one of the most prominent being crops containing genes resistant to the herbicide Roundup.
Farmers in Oregon have shown criticism for GE crops, fearing contamination between conventional crops and Monsanto’s genetically modified crops.
In April 2010, an Oregon-based company, Geertson Seed Farms, filed suit against Monsanto for planting herbicide-resistant alfalfa seeds without adequate environmental studies. In June, the Supreme Court ruled 7-1 in Monsanto’s favor, lifting a national ban against genetically modified alfalfa.
The National Research Council concluded in a 2010 report on genetically modified crops that there is a substantial net economic and environmental benefit. The council also reported, however, that the use of the genetically engineered crops resulted in an increase in weeds resistant to herbicides and that improved yields could diminish over the long term.
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Protesters gather in Salem to denounce influence of Monsanto corporation
Daily Emerald
March 27, 2011
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