|
|
 
|
Other view: 'Pharmaceutical rice' is a no-grow
(Tuesday, May 18, 2004 -- CropChoice news) -- Greg Massa, Sacramento Bee, 05/14/04:
Ventria Bioscience, a small, Sacramento-based biotechnology company, wants
to grow a genetically engineered pharmaceutical rice in California. Human
genes have been inserted into the rice to make it produce proteins that
could be used to treat diarrhea. In other words, they want to grow drugs in
a food crop.
Ignoring four months of negative public testimony by farmers and others, the
California Rice Commission approved this proposal by a 6-5 vote. The
majority of the board's farmer members disagreed with the plan, which asked
for "emergency" approval from the California secretary of agriculture.
Fortunately, once the idea landed on the California Department of Food and
Agriculture's desk for this emergency approval, the department sent it back
to the commission for more work.
Here's the problem: It is impossible to guarantee that genetically
engineered (GE) crops will not contaminate unaltered crops. The biotech
industry has such a terrible record of containment that the prestigious
National Academy of Sciences issued a report saying that 100 percent
containment of foreign DNA in crops is so unlikely that drugs should not be
grown in food crops.
Many of us in the rice industry, including farmers, millers, marketers and
others, are concerned that the introduction of pharmaceutical rice, which
would not be classified as "food," would have serious consequences on our
ability to sell California rice. We know the experience other U.S.
commodities have had with GE crops. For example, U.S. corn growers have
reported $1 billion in lost markets since the introduction of GE corn. A
recent study from Iowa State University predicted that wheat farmers would
lose 30 percent to 50 percent of their export market if GE wheat were
commercialized. The report also predicted a 30 percent price drop with GE
wheat introduction. The other day, Monsanto dropped its plans to introduce
the biotech seeds.
For a crop such as rice, where exports are 50 percent of sales, the market
impacts wheat growers predicted are unacceptable. The California rice
industry is heavily dependent upon international trade, and Japan is our
largest export customer. Japanese rice importers have clearly and
specifically rejected GE rice because the people simply don't want it.
Consider the recent letter sent to the California Rice Commission by the
Japanese Rice Retailers Association: "From the viewpoint of rice wholesalers
and retailers in Japan, it is certain that the commercialization of GM
[genetically modified] rice in the U.S. will evoke a distrust of U.S. rice
as a whole among Japanese consumers, since we think that it is practically
impossible to guarantee no GM rice contamination in non-GM U.S. rice. As you
know, most Japanese consumers react quite negatively to GM crops.
"If the GM rice is actually commercialized in the U.S., we shall strongly
request the Japanese government to take necessary measures not to import any
California rice to Japan."
The California Rice Commission must listen to what our customers have asked
for and consider how genetically engineered crops will impact rice producers
and the rural economies in California. A $500 million industry, the
livelihoods of thousands of farmers, and the future of rice-growing
counties, hangs in the balance. If they choose not to do this, they must be
held accountable for their decisions.
The commission will soon meet again to discuss this issue. Californians
interested in preserving the strength of our rice industry should let their
voices be heard. Before it is too late.
Greg Massa is a fourth-generation rice farmer. He farms 700 acres of rice in
Colusa and Glenn counties. He can be reached at eatrice@princetonca.net.
Source: http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/9288429p-10213313c.html | |
