In an historic move this Tuesday, the Maine House of Representatives took the final step on a controversial bill that would provide Maine's farmers with new protections and assurances when they choose to grow crops that have been genetically engineered. This groundbreaking effort on the part of the Maine Legislature comes after nearly a year and a half of dialogue and compromise amongst many of the key players in Maine's agricultural economy.
Originally brought forth by Rep. Jim Schatz of Blue Hill, working closely with the Protect Maine Farmers campaign, a statewide grassroots effort of Food for Maine's Future to defend and promote small diversified family farms, the final version of the bill is being lauded by all players as a significant step forward in genetic engineering policy at the state level. The Senate version of the bill which was accepted by the House of Representatives on Tuesday has three important components, but lacks a fourth that was added as an amendment by the House last week. The final version of the bill prevents lawsuits for patent infringement against farmers who unintentionally end up with genetically engineered material in their crops, ensures lawsuits that do occur will be held in the state of Maine, and directs the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources to develop and implement Best Management Practices for Genetically Engineered Crops.
The House amendment which the Senate failed to adopt earlier this week would have added to the bill a requirement for all companies selling genetically engineered seeds in the state to report their annual aggregate sales data to the Commissioner of Agriculture. House sponsor of this amendment Representative Benjamin Marriner Pratt of Eddington said, "While I am pleased with the step forward that we have taken here, I know that we have more work to do to ensure that policymakers have all the information they need to make good decisions in the future. We are only going to see more genetically engineered crops commercialized in this state. The amendment would have allowed us to be alerted to these new developments and keep our policy up to date with the conditions on the ground."
The final version of the bill is parallel to existing law in other states around the country, including North and South Dakota and Indiana. Legislation in these states was initiated after farmers were sued by biotechnology companies for allegedly stealing their technology by saving seed that had crossed with varieties containing the companies patented material. Logan Perkins of Protect Maine Farmers who has been working to help pass this bill said, "Maine's farmers now have some substantial assurance that if they save seed that has been contaminated by genetically engineered varieties, they are not at risk for a lawsuit."
Organic dairy farmers who are saving corn seed in the state share this relief, but also are looking for more protection. Spencer Aitel of Two Loons Farm in South China said, "Its good to know that I won't be sued for saving my seeds, but I would like to see a way to make the companies take responsibility for the losses this technology can cause when it contaminates my crops, maybe next year the legislature can work on that."
Perkins also lauded the upcoming implementation of Best Management Practices for these crops. "Until now farmers had to follow Best Management Practices for spreading manure, a practice in use on farms for thousands of years, yet there were no regulations for genetically engineered crops, a technology only a few years old. Hopefully, the development of these Best Management Practices will give farmers the information they need to make good decisions about how to protect themselves, their livelihoods and their neighbors when using genetically engineered crops," she said.
While the debate on genetically engineered crops is far from over, with this legislation Maine has moved one step toward a good and fair policy on this contentious issue.Protechmainefarmers.org
