| Protect
organic crops from contamination by genetically
engineered crops
Senator
____________________________
The United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear
Senator ____________________________
I am writing to request that you ask the
Senate Agriculture Committee to hold hearings
into the failure of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture to protect organic crops
from contamination by genetically engineered
crops.
On April 19, 2006, the USDA issued a report
titled "The First Decade of Genetically
Engineered Crops in the United States." Astonishingly,
this report completely ignores the problem
of contamination of organic crops from
cross-pollination by genetically engineered
crops.
I find this omission outrageous since
the USDA knows it has been very well documented
that organic corn IS being contaminated
by transgenic varieties. For example, the
Union of Concerned Scientists put out a
report titled "Gone to Seed" that
revealed genetically engineered DNA is
contaminating most of the crop seeds in
the United States. This contamination seriously
threatens organic crops, which by definition
of the USDA are produced without genetic
engineering.
The Union of Concerned Scientists report
states that "transgenic contamination
of traditional seed varieties poses a special
threat to the future of organic agriculture,
an increasingly important sector of U.S.
agriculture." It further says that "the
ease with which the traditional seed supply
can be contaminated with transgenically
derived DNA unfairly frustrates organics
farmers seeking to deliver high-quality
products."
Americans are flocking to organic food
in record numbers. Organic food represents
one of the fastest growing segments of
the U.S. food industry. A huge number of
Americans are choosing organic foods because
we believe they are a healthy choice for
our families, and more beneficial for the
environment. After all this brilliant success,
it would be a great tragedy to see the
purity of organic foods destroyed by genetic
contamination.
Organic agriculture must be protected
from contamination and damage from genetically
engineered crops. Do your part by asking
the Senate Agriculture Committee to hold
hearings on this important matter as soon
as possible.
Please write me back and tell me what
you plan to do to address this issue of
genetic contamination of organic crops
in the United States before it grows into
a national scandal. Thanks you.
Sincerely,
_____________________________________________________(signature)
_____________________________________________________(print
name)
_____________________________________________________(address)
_____________________________________________________(city,
state, zip)
|
Contact
your two U.S. Senators and request that they ask
the Senate Agriculture Committee to hold hearings
into the failure of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
to protect organic crops from contamination by
genetically engineered crops.