ACTION ALERT ON GENETIC ENGINEERING
- SUPPORT AB 541 -

SUPPORT AB 541, THE FOOD AND FARM PROTECTION ACT
SEND A LETTER TO THE ASSEMBLY AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE BY APRIL 9TH

Assemblymember Jared Huffman (6th AD) has introduced AB 541. The bill would
establish California's only state laws related to genetic engineering (GE)
in agriculture and protect California farmers, consumers, and the food
supply. AB 541 already has the support of many agricultural, environmental,
health, faith and business organizations.

Please register your support for this bill by mailing or faxing a letter to
the Assembly Agriculture Committee. A sample letter is provided below.

 

 

AB 541 - The Food and Farm Protection Act

Assemblymember Jared Huffman

IN BRIEF

AB 541 establishes California's only state laws related to genetic
engineering (GE) in agriculture.  It protects California farmers and the
food supply in four ways: (1) Establishes the right of farmers and
landowners to compensation for economic losses due to genetic contamination
of their crops; (2) Protects farmers from liability if they unknowingly grow
contaminated crops; (3) Establishes a GE crop notification process so that
farmers can trace contamination to the GE manufacturer; (4) Protects the
food supply by prohibiting the open-field cultivation of drug producing food
crops.

 

THE ISSUES

For Farmers & Landowners - GE and non-GE plants can cross-pollinate and
crops can be mixed together during harvest, handling and processing.  Unlike
the mixing of conventional crops, this is potentially disastrous because
many consumers around the world refuse to eat GE-contaminated foods, and
many of  California's buyers reject it. U.S. export markets have already
closed as a result of contamination in soy, corn, and rice.  Farmers and
landowners who suffer economic losses due to GE contamination have no
established legal recourse, but can be sued by the GE manufacturer for
unknowingly growing contaminated crops. The locations of GE crop production
are unknown - including the thousands of experimental field trials in
California - so farmers and landowners cannot trace GE contamination to the
responsible manufacturer. 

 

For Our Food Supply - Experimental GE crops that produce drugs such as
vaccines, hormones, and antibodies are currently grown in open-air trials in
undisclosed locations in California.  "Biopharming," as it is known, puts
the food supply at great risk of contamination by drugs not intended and not
safe for general consumption.

 

EXISTING LAW

The State of California has no state laws or regulations governing GE crop
production, and state and county agencies do not even know the locations of
experimental field trials. In 2000, the legislature created a California
Biotechnology Task Force. It disbanded without making any recommendations
for state oversight. Four California counties have enacted local
restrictions on GE crops, and a state pre-emption bill (SB 1056) to override
these local laws failed in 2006.

In spite of their pervasiveness in food and agriculture, the federal
government has no mandatory human or environmental safety testing
requirements for GE crops or food.

 

THE SOLUTION

AB 541 protects farmers and food in these ways: 

* Establishes that GE crops that contaminate a farmer's crop and cause
economic harm constitute a nuisance. This gives farmers the legal recourse
they need to recover damages.

* Protects farmers whose crops are unknowingly contaminated by patented GE
crops from being sued for their use.

* Sets up a GE crop notification system so that farmers can find out the GE
manufacturer should they be contaminated.

* Requires the inclusion of GE crop statistics in annual county and state
crop reports.

* Protects the food supply and public health by eliminating the possibility
for accidental exposure to drugs in food crops.

 

SUPPORT

California Certified Organic Farmers . California Council of Churches IMPACT
 Center for Food Safety . Center for Environmental Health . Clean

Water Action . Community Alliance with Family Farmers . Consumer Action .
Earthbound Farm . Earthjustice . Environment California . Occidental Arts
and Ecology Center . Pesticide Action Network North America . Prevention
Institute . South Central Farmers Cooperative . United Natural Foods Inc. -
and many others

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Rebecca Darling: 
 .

(916) 319-2006

Pete Price: 
 . (916) 448-1015

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