Why Farmers Are Worried About GE Alfalfa Deregulation

I was in a Twitter conversation about food policy during Obama’s most recent State of the Union Address when the deregulation of genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa seeds came up. In a matter of seconds, the genetic modification (GM) defenders were on the attack. “Name ONE instance of cross-contamination of GMO seeds!” they said.

Only one? The GM Contamination Register lists 142 reported cases of GM contamination since the seeds' introduction in 1996. Suffice it to say there are enough cases of GE cross-contamination to make farmers plenty worried about the recent deregulation of alfalfa seeds.

Organic dairy farmer, Albert Straus, has posted a statement against the deregulation of GE alfalfa. His farm, Straus Family Creamery, was the first to voluntarily test their organic feed; they found that the organic corn they had purchased had been contaminated with GE corn, through through no fault of the grower. He says, "The decision to deregulate GM alfalfa hurts both organic and conventional farmers who choose not to use genetically modified organism technologies. Alfalfa’s anchor at the base of the dairy supply chain puts the entire organic food chain in peril: Contaminated alfalfa leads to contaminated milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, as well as any other products containing dairy ingredients."

GE alfalfa will make organic dairy more expensive to produce. Alfalfa is the most cost-effective forage protein for farmer Jim Munsch's dairy cows. If GE alfalfa seeds are introduced in the U.S., he will either have to start buying his alfalfa seeds from foreign sources or switch to another legume like clover. Either option would be prohibitively expensive and might not even work. Munsch points out that almost all alfalfa seed grown in North America is grown in limited geographic areas, which means “there is an absolute certainty that all alfalfa seed will eventually be contaminated with this genetically modified material.”

There's no insurance against cross-contamination. Alfalfa seed farmer Blaine Schmaltz transitioned to organic crops when his health started to suffer due to systemic exposure to agriculture chemicals and fertilizers. He is concerned that the lack of a safety net for organic farmers would spell doom for his business. “I have attempted to find an insurer who would cover my liability in case of such an event [contamination], but every company I have contacted has said it is impossible to issue coverage for such a liability.”

More GE seeds means more pesticide-resistant weeds for everyone. Conventional farmers are also concerned about GM seeds, not least because a side effect of their spread is an outbreak of Roundup Ready-resistant weeds. Costs for conventional farming would then increase because farmers have to use greater amounts of chemicals to fight back against these weeds. An outbreak of glyphosate-resistant horseweed in 2005 was estimated to have cost Arkansas farmers up to $500 million in losses, according to Arkansas Extension agent, Mike Hamilton. “We can’t stop the spread of this weed. It will spread over the entire Arkansas Delta. We have to live with it and adjust to it,” says weed specialist Ken Smith.

Biotech industry reps and their allies keep barking the same line: organics comprises just one percent of the market; why tyranize the 99 percent to protect the one percent? But that’s clearly not the complete picture. GE alfalfa seeds will impose insurmountable costs on farms across the entire organic-conventional spectrum. Don't let the biotech industry lie to you. Sign the Organic Trade Association's petition telling the Obama Administration that it has an obligation to protect consumers and farmers from the dangers of GE crops.

To learn more about this issue, see the Western Organization of Resource Councils’ Guide to Genetically Modified Alfalfa.

Photo credit: juggernautco via Flickr