CHICAGO - More than 30 farm groups across the country warned their members yesterday about the dangers of planting genetically engineered crops, saying the practice had become so unpopular With consumers that farmers were risking their livelihoods if they cultivated them again this year.
The farm groups, which included the National Family Farm Coalition and the American Corn Growers Association, also warned that inadequate testing of gene-altered seeds could make farmers vulnerable to "massive liability" from damage caused by genetic drift - the spreading of biologically modified pollens - and other environmental effects.
Genetically engineered crops contain genes from bacteria and viruses to make them resistant to insects and weed killers.
In their first coordinated declaration on the potential impact of planting genetically engineered seed, the groups held a teleconference with reporters in Washington! in which several Midwestern farmers and the heads of, farm groups representing tens of thousands of producers said their chief concern was the marketability of biotechnology foods.
Val Giddings, vice president for food and agriculture for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, said it "wouldn't be surprising if there was some slacking off' in the sale of biotechnology seeds this season, but he said the farm groups' market assessment was grossly distorted. "Fears of a market impact are nil," Giddings said. He said numerous independent studies of biotech, foods had proved them to be safe.
As they prepare to place their seed orders for spring planting, some farmers said they were concerned about having to pay premium prices for biotech seeds and then having to sell their crop at a discount, if they can sell it at all.
Some seed dealers said they are bracing for a falloff in sales of genetically altered seeds, which last year topped $1 billion nationally and, according to some estimates, had been expected to double this year.
Dean Urmston, executive vice president of the American Seed Trade Association, said that while it is too early to define a trend, "I do know that our members are concerned because of the emotional things being expressed by the media and others."
To counter the fears, the association has put on its Web site a grain handlers' database on which farmers can enter their zip codes and instantly view a list of buyers for their genetically altered crops whether or not the crops meet the safety specifications of the European Union, which has led the resistance against biotechnology foods.
Urmston said 80 percent of the U.S. grain crop is purchased domestically and 54 percent of that is bought by about 2,000 grainhandlers who say they will accept genealtered crops. "So, the market is here.... Where's the panic?" Urmston asked.
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