American Corn Growers Association | November 10, 1999 | Contact: Gary Goldberg, 918-488-1829; David Senter, 202-331-4348
Farmer Liability Legislation Must be Next Step to Protect Agricultural Producers
WASHINGTON, DC - The American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) has endorsed legislation that will require the Food and Drug Administration to label all food products produced from genetically modified foods. The bill, "Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act," is introduced by Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH).
"This legislation goes a long way towards providing the consumer the rights they deserve in knowing how their food was produced and what kinds of foods are contained in what they buy," said Gary Goldberg, Chief Executive Officer of the ACGA.
The ACGA believes that while this legislation protects the consumer, additional measures must be taken to protect the agricultural producer. Therefore the ACGA has obtained a commitment from Congressman Kucinich that he will work on legislation early next year that contains liability waivers for those farmers facing potential litigation over their purchasing, planting, harvesting and marketing of either GMO or non-GMO seeds.
"It is imperative that those farmers planting GMOs who follow the recommendations of the manufacturer of the seeds, should not be held liable for any damage or injury resulting from those plantings. This legislation should also waive liability for those farmers who, in good faith, purchased, planted, harvested and marketed non-GMO crops, thus protecting them from cross-pollination and segregation issues.
"Our objective in future legislation is to place the liability for any damages squarely on the shoulders of the seed companies, where it belongs. These seeds are being sold as safe and marketable. If they are not, than the fault lies with the manufacturer and seller of the GMO seeds, not with the agricultural producer," added Goldberg.
Through this entire controversy over GMOs, the farmer has been placed in the middle of this debate between chemical companies, seed manufacturers, grain exporters, foreign consumers and U.S. governmental policy. At a time of historically low commodity prices brought on by the failure of the current farm legislation, the uncertainty over the marketability and liability of genetically modified crops cannot be borne by American grain producers.
"Our objective from the beginning has been to protect the interest of our domestic corn producers. If the many questions surrounding the continued planting of GMO crops are not answered, such as the questions of certification, segregation, cross-pollination, liability and corporate concentration, then farmers could decide whether to find alternatives to GMO crops for next planting season. In the meantime, we support labeling as the first step in addressing the concerns of the general public while building confidence in the foods we all eat," concluded Goldberg.
The ACGA will be working with other agricultural associations to gather support for the labeling legislation as well as future liability waiver measures.
