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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] [Fwd: [SANET-MG] GMO Alert in NC]
  • Date: Sat, 07 May 2005 00:05:24 -0400

Perhaps coming soon to a state near you..............

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] GMO Alert in NC
Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 17:34:48 -0500
From: Cricket Rakita <cricket@SAVINGOURSEED.ORG>
Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
References: <E05D4BC99C4B244D9B295322976D4C2701EF0E6C@if-srv-exchbe01.ad.ufl.edu>



News Release
May 6, 2005

Seedy Business
Ag-biotech industry seeks to prohibit local regulations in NC

Members of the North Carolina General Assembly have filed a flurry of bills drafted by corporate agribusiness to preempt local regulations that might restrict genetically modified crops. House Bill 671 [link here] and its counterpart Senate Bill 631 [link here] were recently introduced by the House and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairs, Rep. Dewey Hill (Dem.), and Senator Charles Albertson (Dem.), with support from the NC Department of Agriculture (NCDA). Another bill, Senate Bill 681, sponsored by Senator David Hoyle (Dem.) and Tom Apodaca (Rep.), also proposes to prohibit local regulation of forestry and agricultural activities.

Goodness Grows in North Carolina? HB 671 and SB 631 aim to prevent towns, counties or cities from passing any ordinance or resolution to control any kind of plant or plant pest. “This is a draconian measure that would usurp local control by making the NC Department of Agriculture the only body in North Carolina with the authority to regulate plants,” said Michael Sligh, of RAFI-USA in Pittsboro.

The bills are not a home grown initiative, but part of a nationwide agribusiness effort. Similar bills, containing identical language, have cropped up in at least nine other states as part of an orchestrated campaign by industry to prevent citizen initiatives like those passed in three California counties last year that prohibited cultivation of genetically modified crops. “These bills represent a pledge of allegiance to Monsanto,” said Hope Shand, Research Director of ETC Group in Carrboro, “and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture was quick to take the pledge, followed by their friends in the General Assembly. But what’s good for Monsanto isn’t necessarily what’s best for local communities.”

The Plot Thickens: The issue has immediate relevance in eastern North Carolina where Ventria Bioscience is now growing an experimental plot of rice engineered with synthetic human genes (to produce lactoferrin and lysozyme proteins found in mother’s milk) on a farm adjacent to the NCDA Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth (Washington County). Two earlier attempts by Ventria to grow its genetically modified “pharma rice” –a crop that yields pharmaceutical proteins for use in medicines – were rejected by farmers, food companies and environmentalists in California and Missouri because of concerns that the pharma rice could cross-pollinate with conventional rice, contaminating the food chain. In April 2005, California-based Ventria Bioscience requested a permit from the US Department of Agriculture to grow up to 70 acres of genetically modified “pharma rice” on two plots in eastern North Carolina.

While the bills aim squarely to preempt local restrictions of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the innocuous language never mentions genetic engineering. The ambiguous text creates additional concerns. For example, invasive plants and noxious weeds are a serious problem across the state, threatening native ecosystems. They can also have a huge impact on local economies, from aquatic invasives clogging drinking water intakes to noxious weeds forcing major weed control costs on farm and forest production. This bill would eliminate local authority to take swift action to deal with invasive plants. The legislation would also prevent other state agencies – such as Environment or Public Health – from restricting plants in any way.

Squelching Unanswered Questions: Questions about genetically-modified crops and trees are abundant – whether they are economically beneficial or harmful, whether they threaten public health, how to manage “drift” of genetic material onto neighboring crops and native ecosystems– all these questions spark hot debate in the scientific and policy-making arena.

One option for squelching this debate is to eliminate local control, confining the discussion to an industry-friendly Department of Agriculture. Just as the hog industry won legislation in North Carolina to prohibit local jurisdictions from keeping out super-sized hog farms, the Gene Giants are attempting to muzzle public debate in North Carolina by eliminating local options for the protection of the economy and public health – and state officials so far seem more than willing to comply.

Action Alert:

Take Action: Stop North Carolina from taking the Monsanto Pledge!

Members of the North Carolina General Assembly have filed a flurry of bills created by biotech industry to prevent any local regulations that might restrict genetically modified crops. House Bill 671 [link here] and its counterpart Senate Bill 631 [link here] were recently introduced by the House and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairs, Rep. Dewey L. Hill, and Senator Charlie Albertson, with support from the NC Department of Agriculture. Senate Bill 681, sponsored by Senator David Hoyle (Dem.) and Tom Apodaca (Rep.), also proposes to prohibit local regulation of forestry and agricultural activities.

HB 671 and SB 631 aim to prevent towns, counties or cities from passing any ordinance or resolution to regulate any kind of plant or plant pest, giving the NC Department of Agriculture sole authority to regulate plants in the state. While the bills aim squarely to prevent local restrictions of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), the innocuous language never mentions genetic engineering. The ambiguous text generates additional concerns, because it would eliminate t local authority to restrict sales of invasive plants or noxious weeds. The bills represent little more than a pledge of allegiance from North Carolina’s leaders to the ag-biotech industry, with little concern for local communities.

The bills are not a home grown initiative, but part of a nationwide agribusiness effort. Similar bills, containing identical language, have cropped up in at least nine other states as part of an orchestrated campaign by industry to prevent citizen initiatives like those passed in three California counties last year that prohibited cultivation of genetically modified crops. While there are currently no organized campaigns for such bans in North Carolina, the bills side-step serious questions about the safety of GMOs and potential impacts on non-GMO and organic farmers, who currently have no protection from genetic “drift” and contamination from GMO crops.

Don’t let North Carolina cede local control to the Gene Giants – contact your legislators now to protect the rights of towns, counties and cities to regulate plants for the protection of the local economy and public health!

Take Action: Concerned citizens need to take action immediately. HB671 is on the calendar for Monday, May 9th. Urge your representatives in the NC General Assembly to to REJECT House Bill 671 and Senate Bill 631 – An Act to Amend the Plant Pest Law to Preempt Local Regulation of Plants and Plant Pests, and SB 681. Find your representative at: http://www.ncleg.net/GIS/Representation/Who_Represents_Me/Who_Represents_Me.html

Go here to read the text of preemption bills:

HB 671: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2005/Bills/House/HTML/H671v2.html

SB 631: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2005/Bills/Senate/HTML/S631v1.html

SB 681: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2005/Bills/Senate/HTML/S681v1.html

Concerned citizens should also contact the NC Department of Agriculture, and the Bill’s sponsors:

Steve Troxler
Commissioner, NC Department of Agriculture
steve.troxler@ncmail.net
Tel: 919 733-7125

Rep. Dewey L. Hill, Chair, House Agriculture Committee
NC General Assembly
Deweyh@ncleg.net
Tel: 919-733-5830

Senator Charles W. Albertson
NC General Assembly
Tel: (919) 733-5705
Email: Charliea@ncleg.net


Talking Points
* REJECT House Bill 671 and Senate Bill 631 – “An Act to Amend the Plant Pest Law to Preempt Local Regulation of Plants and Plant Pests.”
* Don’t take away the right of local jurisdictions to restrict plants and plant pests as necessary to protect the local economy and public health.
* This bill does nothing to promote North Carolina’s economy or protect its citizens – it is simply a plank in the national agribusiness agenda.
* Whatever your position on genetically-modified crops, we don’t want our leadership to be Monsanto’s lap dog!
* Does this bill affect you or your land directly? Are you concerned about genetic drift harming organic or non-GMO crops, or your timberland? Be sure to mention your personal concerns.

For Further Information:

For further information on the implications of preemption bills for organic farmers:

<Due to the public nature of this forum, I have taken names out of this message. Please contact me individually if you are interested in finding out more information>




Cricket Rakita
Saving Our Seed Project Coordinator
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
49 Circle D Dr.
Colbert, GA 30628
home/work: (706) 788-0017
fax: (706) 788-0071
cell: (706) 614-1451
web: http://www.savingourseed.org
email: cricket@savingourseed.org








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