GMO Foes to File Initiated Measure 

MIKKEL PATES / Grand Forks Herald 26mar04

FARGO—Thursday, proponents filed an initiated measure in North Dakota that, if approved by voters, would require state approval before genetically modified wheat is commercialized in the state.

James Kusler, an organic wheat farmer and former politician from Beulah, N.D., said his measure would be filed with 27 names for a sponsoring committee of qualified electors. Kusler says Secretary of State Al Jaeger must approve the language in the measure, a process that should take less than a week. Proponents must then get it printed and in the hands of distributors to attempt to collect the minimum of 12,844 signatures, before the issue can be put to a vote, probably in the November general election.

The initiated measure would require the state agriculture commissioner to appoint an expert panel—a "fact-finding" committee—as gatekeepers for commercializing any GMO wheat, including the so-called Roundup Ready type, whose technology is owned by Monsanto. U.S. producers are divided on the issue, with some wanting wheat varieties that can thrive in the presence of certain herbicides or for specific food and pharmaceutical niches. Others, including organic producers, worry about market acceptance, segregation and liability.

The group is about a month behind its initial plans for filing the petition, due mostly to scheduling and travel conflicts.

source: http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/8279993.htm 26mar04