GE-Free Sonoma Proponents Release Report On Economic Costs of Bio-Contamination

County Supervisors place measure on November 8, 2005 ballot

GE-Free Sonoma Press Release 1mar05

Santa Rosa, CA - Proponents of a 10-year moratorium on transgenic (genetically engineered) crops in Sonoma County, California released a report today highlighting the potentially costly economic losses to the county which could result from failing to pass the moratorium. The report, titled "The Costs of Contamination", assesses the potential economic impacts of transgenic contamination on local agriculture, fisheries, and public lands.

The report is available online on the campaign's website: http://www.gefreesonoma.org/press/Costs_of_Contamination_2-23-05.pdf

Key points from "The Costs of Contamination" report include the following:

" DAIRY: Clover Stornetta, Sonoma County's leading dairy manufacturer, processes milk from 16 family-owned dairies (12 of them in Sonoma County), all of which guarantee that they do not use genetically engineered growth hormone (rBST), and many which produce organic milk for Clover Stornetta s organic line. More than one half of the milk purchased by the all-organic Straus Family Dairy is also produced at Sonoma County dairies. While it is difficult to assess how many millions of dollars of our highest value organic dairy producers are at stake, there is a clear risk that, when GE contamination of organic pasturelands occur, domestic and international market rejection will follow.

" SALMON: Sonoma County salmon fishermen's 2002 catch was worth more than $1 million wholesale. Contamination by transgenic salmon could decimate the native salmon population, placing the entire salmon fishing industry at risk. This would be a catastrophic loss for our local fishermen, for our tourist and sport fishing industry, and for efforts to restore our long-endangered salmon populations.

" FRUIT & VEGETABLE GROWERS: The economic value of fruit & vegetables (excluding grapes) grown in Sonoma County in 2003 was nearly $17 million. Most of Sonoma County s vegetable and fruit growers provide specialty crops to local markets many of which are restaurants, farmer s markets, and other buyers who are most likely to require GE-free produce. A large majority of American consumers want to avoid GE foods. Growers who plant GE varieties or become contaminated with GE become increasingly vulnerable to market rejection.

" ORGANIC FARMERS: the major natural food processors in Sonoma County have combined revenues of over $300 million. In recent years there has been dramatic growth in certified organic acreage in Sonoma and Napa counties 236% growth between 2001 and 2003, totaling 164 farms with a combined 4152 acres. If the initiative does not pass, each of the 164 registered organic farmers would be directly threatened by the introduction to Sonoma County of GE versions of the crops they grow. The potential combined market losses for these producers is clearly in the tens of million of dollars.

" SCHOOLS: There are over 75 food and flower producing, educational organic gardens at our public elementary and high schools. Sonoma County s school garden programs are among the most successful in the nation, providing a participatory learning environment on horticulture and ecology to thousands of students each year. All of these would be threatened by GE contamination.

" TOURISM: Sonoma County tourism amounts to nearly $1 billion a year. The county s main draws include the beauty of our natural environment and our unique and diverse agricultural bounty. This attraction will be severely damaged if GE crops, weeds and animals replace our diverse, locally appropriate varieties and native ecosystems, with potentially serious losses to tourism industry wine tasting, fishing, outdoor activities, hospitality, retail, and more.

" LIABILITY: Would failure to pass a GE moratorium expose the County to liability for the costs of contamination of public and private land owners, farms, gardens and schools by GE crops, weeds and other organisms? Such costs could include ecological disturbance of critical habitat or species listed as endangered or threatened; contamination of private and public property: farms, ranches, nurseries, residential landscaping and gardens, community gardens, schools, parks, etc; and seed contamination for farmers, horticultural researchers and gardeners who save their own seed.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors placed the measure on the ballot for a November 8, 2005 election. The GE-Free Sonoma County campaign had gathered over 45,000 signatures a record in the county to place the initiative on the ballot. The full text of the initiative can be read at http://www.gefreesonoma.org/press/0621_Initiative.pdf

Contact: Dave Henson Phone: 707-874-1557 x214 Email: dhenson@oaec.org
Contact: Daniel Solnit Phone: 707-823-4410 Cell: 707-953-8600 Email: dsolnit@ecoisp.com