Rural advocates,
FYI,
Leigh

March 7, 2005


Dear Legislator,

I am writing to urge you to oppose SB 259 and its counterpart HF 202, which
seek to prohibit Iowa counties from regulating agricultural seed.

Although neither bill uses the terms "GMO" or "GE" seeds, it is clear to us
from researching these bills that they are being promoted by GMO seed
corporations to guarantee their access to Iowa farm land. Our independent
family farmer members do NOT want genetically modified seed contaminating
their non-GMO acres, and they do not want to be targeted by agribusiness
corporations in wrongful lawsuits.

Additionally, it has been shown that some genetically altered foods can be
unsafe for human consumption (e.g., Starlink, tryptophan contamination
resulting in deaths). Clearly more research must be done on this subject,
and that is why many markets worldwide have banned the sale of GMO food
products.

This legislation is being presented as necessary to address a "crisis". The
Agribusiness Association frames it thus: "Current law does not prohibit
local political entities from regulating the sale and planting of seeds.
Legislation must be adopted as soon as possible before special interest
groups disrupt accepted agricultural practices." We in Farmers Union can
see no crisis other than the difficulty seed companies fear they'll face in
penetrating the Iowa market. Their only concern is having the free and
clear ability to push GMO seed to the grain producers of Iowa. It seems a
couple of counties around the country have interfered with their sales
efforts and that is a potential crisis for them.

Are all Iowans convinced of the safety of GMO seed? I would think not. A
local government might have an excellent reason to regulate the advertising
and dissemination of misleading information about the safety of GMO seed,
in order to protect local farmers who want to avoid GMO
contaminationparticularly those organic farmers who currently make up the
highest growth segment of Iowa's agricultural base.

Biotech crops have already arrived in Iowa, and their influence was
harmful. ProdiGene, a spin-off of Des Moines-based Pioneer Hi-Bred
International, faces up to $500,000 in fines for allegedly failing to
properly manage sites in Iowa and Nebraska where the company tested a type
of gene-altered corn for a swine vaccine.

It seems that there are enough questions unanswered to stop consideration
of this legislation until it is proven that some crisis actually needs
averting. A real crisis could very well be averted by allowing local
government to work, as it might just keep some group of its local citizens
from having their livelihoods destroyed by GMO contamination.

At the very least, the legislature should allow Iowa's citizens to weigh in
on this crucial topic, and not push it through without a public comment
period. The Iowa code does not even contain a definition of "GMO" or "GE";
this would be an excellent time to begin that discussion. The biotech
industry should not receive a free pass into Iowa without more responsible
consideration from our lawmakers and citizens.

Sincerely,

Chris Petersen
President
Iowa Farmers Union
PO Box 8988
528 Billy Sunday Rd
Ames, IA  50014
800-775-5227
[log in to unmask]
www.iafu.org

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