National Farmers Union Convention Adopts Measures on GMOs  

NFU Press Release 12mar01

WASHINGTON, D.C. --  Delegates to National Farmers Union’s (NFU) 99^th anniversary convention adopted policy regarding genetically modified organisms (GMO). The new policy supports ways to ensure the safety of the world’s food supply and to protect the farmers and ranchers from liabilities due to environmental and health dangers caused by the producers of GMO technology.

"Concerns over food safety and certification have gained new attention in recent days," said Leland Swenson, president of NFU. "While consumers are demanding to know that the food they purchase for their families is safe, farmers are demanding the control and the knowledge to grow what the consumers and the marketplace require. We need to know the parameters of use for these crops. We need control to ensure that we meet those parameters and the demands of the markets into which we sell."

Policy adopted at the convention in Rochester, N.Y., augments previous policy stances to address emerging issues in the agricultural biotechnology arena. Included in the policy recommendations is a provision that would prohibit government regulatory agencies from licensing genetically modified products that are not acceptable for both human consumption and animal feed. Regulatory agencies and input suppliers must also ensure that farmers are informed of all potential market risks and segregation requirements associated with planting any GMO crop and they must consider domestic and foreign consumer acceptance of the product when licensing.

Farmers are not to be held liable for food safety, human health or environmental problems, including cross pollination, when they follow planting and segregation requirements. Both market loss and contamination loss in these instances must be fully reimbursed to the farmer.

The convention also adopted a policy position that supports imposing a moratorium on the introduction, certification and commercialization of genetically engineered wheat until issues of cross-pollination, liability, commodity and seed stock segregation, and market acceptance are adequately addressed.

"We support technological developments that improve production and potential income for farmers and ranchers," continued Swenson. "We know that research is vital to creating a secure, safe and healthy food supply for the world. We must continue to ensure that these innovations benefit family-sized producers, providing them with real production choices and immunity to liability when the developers of the technology cause damage to the environment or commodity markets and compromises public health. We must continue to ensure that the consumers in our foreign and domestic markets can be reasonably informed and can make knowledgeable choices about the food they buy."