Monsanto recently announced that it is close to receiving full approval for a dicamba-tolerant trait in soybeans. Dicamba is similar in structure and mode to herbicides like 2,4-D, a main component of Agent Orange. It volatilizes easily and can drift for miles, and more easily contaminates nearby waterways and groundwater because of its mobility in soil. Simply put, Dicamba is bad for human health and the environment, and genetically engineered varieties like this encourage its use by design, exacerbating the problem of chemical contamination in our food, water, and air that even the President’s Cancer Panel says we cannot afford to ignore. Continue reading →

NOVIC is a four-year collaboration with farmers and researchers in five states. The goal of NOVIC is to improve organic farmers’ access to vegetable varieties that grow optimally on their farms.

The collaborative is a partnership between institutions serving organic farmers in the northern latitudes: OSA, Oregon State University, University of Wisconsin, Washington State University, Cornell, and the Geneva Plant Genetic Resource Center.  All the partnering farms have strong similarities in scale, type of farm and variety needs, representing a sector of organic agriculture that has traditionally had difficulty accessing organic seed for expanding markets.

NOVIC will bring farmers and researchers together for four consecutive years to breed, trial and improve varieties for optimum production in organic systems.  Trial results are gathered and shared locally, regionally and nationally through published breeding materials, workshops and a collaborative database.

This summer the OSA greenhouse is full of flowering carrots. See YouTube Video. We’re partnering with 10 local farms to trial six vegetable crops: carrots, corn, broccoli, snap peas, winter squash, and beets. We’re teaching farmers how to breed on-farm for performance under organic conditions, and creating an online forum for farmers and researchers to pool resources about organic variety needs.

Watch for NOVIC updates on our website and eXtension.org soon. Better yet, join us in the field to visit with the breeders and see field trials first hand.

The first NOVIC field day is scheduled for September 24th at Nash’s Organic Produce in Sequim, WA. Watch our website for more details.

Micaela Colley, Executive Director

On the shoulders of giants, June 2010

Organic Seed Alliance’s mission is to support the ethical development and stewardship of seed. OSA works from the position that organic food integrity begins with organic seed integrity and our ethical approach to seed develops from this belief. Organic seed integrity includes seed that is free of contamination from genetically engineered traits. But, just as organic farming is more than farming without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, organic seed integrity is much more than “the absence of” and includes the positive values and benefits that we bring to seed development.

While I recognize that the fear of negative impact of genetically engineered crops is a factor that drives many towards organic, I am more interested in the positive factors that drive us towards improvements in agricultural practices, such as plant breeding and seed production. If genetically engineered seed is undesirable, and organic seed is better, what is the “better” in seed that we are moving towards in the organic community? Defining ourselves by what we are not seems a shallow approach to identity and integrity. A much more powerful way to define our integrity is to describe and measure the value that organic production brings to the environment, animal health, human health, and rural economies.

Working for integrity in organic food and seed, we recognize that food systems are more than the sum of their parts. In other words respect for the autonomy, sovereignty, and relationships of plants, animals, farmers, and consumers is essential to food integrity. For example, the farmer working from the integrity level provides cows access to healthy pasture with diverse species, not only because it returns benefits to the farm ecology (such as fertility in the manure), or reduces the need for synthetic antibiotics, but primarily because it is aligned with the cow’s nature to graze, frolic, and lock horns. The cow is ethically relevant. The diverse species of plants in the pasture are relevant. The farmer’s success is relevant. The person who will drink the milk is relevant. Full-life cycles are relevant.  A farmer working from this level works to encourage shared benefits from all individuals and species through collaboration and integration.

It’s this level of integrity we are looking for in organic seed systems – a new model of decentralized seed systems that serve communities of plants, animals, and people – with farmers and public plant breeders engaged in breeding crops that are adapted to local conditions and high in nutrition and flavor. This work must be done while respecting the autonomy, sovereignty, and interrelationships of plants, animals, soil, farmers, and consumers – their integrity.

OSA’s approach to seed allows for continued evolution of the plant species and improvement of the variety. In order for this evolution and improvement to occur plants must be bred in a manner that allows for natural mating and evolution as opposed to gene insertion and cell fusion, in a manner that allows for plants to co-evolve in their biotic community – including the fungi, viruses, insects that we think of as pests – that have existed side by side with them for thousands of years. These plants and pests have never been at war with each other. Why should we make it one?  The war approach fails, and if anything it has made matters worse. To date our reductionist attempts to eradicate pests have only resulted in stronger weeds, insects, and pathogens, and new generations of more deadly chemicals to try and wipe them out. In organic seed systems we breed plants for tolerance to these pests, for plants able to produce good yields and nutritious quality crops. But of course sometimes the pests will take a share of the harvest, that’s the price for you pay for an integrated ecological approach to plant breeding.

OSA’s  approach to seed allows farmers and breeders the right to save and exchange seed. This does not mean that royalties or other benefits cannot or should not be paid to plant breeders (including farmer-breeders), but that any such benefits must recognize the thousands of years of improvement that came before the latest generation of discovery and selection. As Newton remarked on being honored for his scientific accomplishments, “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” His humble statement should be a reminder to us that no individual or corporation can ethically or morally claim ownership of our plant heritage via utility patents when, prior to our generation, countless individuals have done the work for the good of all humankind.

And, in order for farmers to be good partners in the plant breeding and seed production process they need education and training. Recognizing this need, OSA’s Research and Education team provides through our “Organic On-Farm Plant Breeding” workshops, seed production publications, conferences, and field days. They need a channel and amplifier for their voice, defending the benefits and rights of farmer-oriented public seed systems, as OSA Advocacy team does.

We have a lot of work to do. Good work – breeding new diversity and adaptation into our food crops. Along the way OSA Advocacy will also continue to work to protect organic seed from contamination from GE crops, challenge the concentrated ownership of seeds and use of utility patents to prevent seed saving, and facilitate discussions amongst those of us who rely on and benefit from ethical seed systems. That includes you – we encourage you to subscribe to our blog, become a fan of OSA on Facebook, make comments and ask questions and support our education, research and advocacy efforts with your financial contributions. Organic food integrity begins with organic seed integrity, and organic seed integrity begins with all of us getting involved. Join us.

Matthew Dillon, Director of Advocacy

Standing Ground, June 2010

I recently attended a meeting here in Montana where we discussed farmer protection legislation. The purpose was to bring together people with different interests – farmers, seed companies, farm organizations,and state agencies – to find common ground on testing and dispute resolution regarding seed patent infringement cases.

The meeting was productive and no one’s feathers were ruffled — until the concerns of organic and other non-GMO farmers about contamination and liability ignited a heated debate. At that point the president of a well-respected seed company recently purchased by Monsanto exclaimed, “Soon there will be sustainability traits for organic…sustainability traits that are necessary for saving the world.”

In other words, the biotechnology industry is working hard to convince the public that combining organic agriculture with genetic engineering is our only chance at feeding the world and farming sustainably.

I understand well the rhetoric around the marriage of biotechnology and organics.Still, I couldn’t help but respond as if a bag of seed corn was thrown at me. “Sustainability biotech traits?” I asked. “But biotech traits aren’t allowed in the organic standards.” The gruff response: “We have to work out the morals.”

What followed was a speech about changing the organic standards to allow the use of genetically engineered seed — an excluded method, of course, that the organic community fought hard to preserve. Beyond the unconvincing arguments was a general hostility toward organic, and it reminded me of the fundamental differences in values between the biotechnology and organic sectors. (You can read more about organic values as they pertain to seed in our July 2010 newsletter.)

The distance between these two value systems is far too wide for there to be much common ground on our biggest challenges, including contamination. Companies producing seed technologies talk about “co-existence,” but too many farmers face a different reality, one that involves contaminated seed and lost markets.

While the organic community may not always agree on policies and practices, OSA and our partners agree that genetic engineering has no place in the movement’s collective vision of an organic production system. The importance of our work and that of our partners in developing ethical,farmer-oriented, organic seed systems cannot be overstated. Organic farmers depend on organic and other seed free of transgenic material to meet the organic — and their customers’ — standards.

The state farmer protection legislation that was discussed at this meeting is an important step forward. These bills level the playing field in patent infringement cases, and though these initiatives have had mixed success,together they signal a real need for federal legislation. In particular this legislation needs to go much further by transferring liability for economic damage to the patent holders, an essential accountability component currently absent.

But as fights ensue in capitols we must also foster the systems that stand as promising solutions to what we oppose. That’s why I’m encouraged by the work of Organic Seed Alliance and excited to join their team as a staff member. Meaningful change will grow all around us if we keep planting the seeds.

Kristina Hubbard, Advocacy Program Specialist

Dear OSA reader,

As I watch OSA grow and evolve, refining our programs and addressing our mission, I realize we’re reaching a transformative phase where our work is having a true impact on the state of organic seed. After seven years of working with OSA I’ve recently moved into the position of Executive Director. As a mother of a toddler I can’t help but reflect on how quickly we all grow up and the importance of nurturing that growth. I sometimes feel OSA is also a living entity growing out of adolescence and into a mature organization. As ED I recognize the importance of nurturing the organization’s growth and the value of dedicated staff that embody our mission. I’m proud to share with you some of our recent accomplishments, new projects, and future potential as well as introduce our new staff members.

In the early phase of OSA’s formation we held a visioning session to direct the new organization. We assessed what issues needed to be addressed, what skills we held, what other organizations were already doing, who our allies were, and from that assessment what work we should be focused on. We decided that day that Advocacy was urgently needed, but that we must first root ourselves in Research and Education where our skills were in high demand and our services unique. Once our work in the field was established then we’d have a stronger voice to advocate for farmers rights and address ethical issues related to seed. We’ve earned that voice and it is my pleasure to watch our Advocacy Program speak out.

This year our Advocacy Program led by OSA founder, Matthew Dillon, conducted the first national assessment of the State of Organic Seed. A report of results will be released this summer. We’ve also expanded our Advocacy team with the addition of Kristina Hubbard, who brings extensive experience addressing issues related to contamination and consolidation in the seed industry.

Our work in the field continues to grow locally and nationally as we develop improved varieties and increase farmers’ access to field-based information on organic seed. This year we helped launch the Northern Vegetable Improvement Collaborative (NOVIC). We’re creating an online database of organic variety trial results. We’re teaching farmers on-farm seed growing and variety improvement skills. Most days our plant breeder Dr. John Navazio spends his time in the field breeding carrots, spinach and other crops and conducting on-farm organic variety trials. Through our advisory services, now led by Dan Hobbs, our former ED, we’re helping build the skills and infrastructure for seed growers to succeed economically. In our own backyard, in partnership with WSU, we’re partnering on seed-related projects with 11 farms in Jefferson County and the three surrounding Counties, Clallam, Island and Thurston. Each of these efforts is contributing to a new era where farmers have secure access to healthy, organic seed; seed which is essential for our food communities to thrive.

I invite you to read on about our work, join us at a summer seed workshop or field day, and support the ethical stewardship of seed with a donation to OSA today.

Live well,
Micaela Colley

Don’t forget about tomorrow’s DOJ-USDA antitrust meeting in Madison, Wisconsin. As we wrote earlier this week, this is an important opportunity to
remind the agencies that seed industry concentration is harming
farmers, small businesses, and consumers, and we need meaningful action.
See our recent letter
to DOJ-USDA detailing the consequences of seed industry
concentration.

1. You can register for Friday’s (June 25) meeting here. The meeting runs from 8:45 a.m. – 6 p.m.

2. Check
out a map of the location.

University of Wisconsin-Madison
WisconsinUnion Theater
800 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706-1419
 
3. Here is the agenda.

And don’t miss today’s events, which include a series of community workshops
(one will provide an update on the legal and regulatory
issues regarding GE alfalfa) and town hall meeting: Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Thanks to your calls and emails, 56 members of Congress have signed onto a letter asking USDA to maintain the current ban on planting GE alfalfa and address the serious deficiencies in the draft Environmental Impact Statement. The letter points to the threat GE contamination poses to the integrity of organic: “Consumers today respect and rely on what the USDA certified organic seal represents, which includes no GE contamination.”

Read the congressional sign-on letter (opens PDF).

Read Sen. Leahy and Rep. DeFazio’s press release.

Contacts:             
George Kimbrell, Center for Food Safety, 415-826-2770, c: 571-527-8618
John Bianchi, Goodman Media, 212-576-2700, c: 917-693-4290

SUPREME COURT RULING IN MONSANTO CASE IS VICTORY FOR CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY, FARMERS

High Court Delivers Ruling That Leaves Ban on Planting of Roundup Ready Alfalfa in Place in First-Ever Case on a Genetically-engineered Crop

Washington, DC June 21, 2010 – The Center for Food Safety today celebrated the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Monsanto v. Geerston Farms, the first genetically modified crop case ever brought before the Supreme Court.  Although the High Court decision reverses parts of the lower courts’ rulings, the judgment holds that a vacatur bars the planting of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Alfalfa until and unless future deregulation occurs.  It is a victory for the Center for Food Safety and the Farmers and Consumers it represents.

“The Justices’ decision today means that the selling and planting of Roundup Ready Alfalfa is illegal.  The ban on the crop will remain in place until a full and adequate EIS is prepared by USDA and they officially deregulate the crop.  This is a year or more away according to the agency, and even then, a deregulation move may be subject to further litigation if the agency’s analysis is not adequate,” said Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety. “In sum, it’s a significant victory in our ongoing fight to protect farmer and consumer choice, the environment and the organic industry.”

In the majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito, the Court held: “In sum…the vacatur of APHIS’s deregulation decision means that virtually no RRA (Roundup Ready Alfalfa) can be grown or sold until such time as a new deregulation decision is in place, and we also know that any party aggrieved by a hypothetical future deregulation decision will have ample opportunity to challenge it, and to seek appropriate preliminary relief, if and when such a decision is made.” (Opinion at p. 22).

The Court also held that:

• Any further attempt to commercialize RRA even in part may require an EIS subject to legal challenge.

• The Court further recognized that the threat of transgenic contamination is harmful and onerous to organic and conventional farmers and that the injury allows them to challenge future biotech crop commercializations in court.

USDA indicated at the Supreme Court argument that full deregulation is about a year away and that they will not pursue a partial deregulation in the interim.  Any new attempt at deregulation in full or part will be subject to legal challenge.

“The bottom line is that the Supreme Court set aside the injunction because the vacating of the commercialization decision already gave us all the relief we needed, by forbidding RRA planting until a new decision is made by the agency.  And at such time, farmers and consumers still have the right to challenge the adequacy of that process.” said George Kimbrell, senior staff attorney for CFS.  “The Court’s decision affirmed that the threat of genetic contamination of natural plants posed by biotech crops is an issue of significant environmental concern now and in the future.”

In this case, CFS faced off against powerful opposing entities, including the Department of Agriculture and the agricultural biotech giant, Monsanto Corporation. The Center and the other respondents were supported by a broad array of diverse interests, marshalling no less than seven amicus briefs in support.  The amici included three states’ attorneys general, leading scientific experts, legal scholars, former government officials, farmers, exporters, environmental groups, food companies and organic industry trade groups.  The Organic Trade association and companies like Stonyfield Farms, Cliff Bar and Eden Foods voiced united concern over the threat a ruling for Monsanto would pose to the organic food businesses, the fastest growing sector in the American food industry.   Attorneys general from California, Oregon and Massachusetts filed a brief on behalf of their citizens emphasizing “the States’ interests in protecting the environment, their natural resources and their citizens’ rights to be informed about the environmental impacts of federal actions.” A full list of the more than sixty organizations, companies and individuals who filed briefs in support of CFS and opposed to Monsanto can be viewed at truefoodnow.org/publications/supreme-court-briefs/.

Monsanto was supported by a bloc of powerful corporate interests and industry groups, including the American Farm Bureau, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and CropLife America.

The environmental, health, cultural, and economic impacts of the genetically-engineered alfalfa seed, which is designed to be immune to Monsanto’s flagship herbicide Roundup, and the USDA’s plan to commercialize it, was at the heart of this dispute since 2006, when CFS filed a lawsuit against the USDA on behalf of a coalition of non-profits and farmers who wanted to retain the choice to grow non-GE alfalfa.  Central to the issue is unwanted transgenetic drift: GE alfalfa can spread uncontrollably by way of bees that can cross-pollinate plants many miles away, contaminating both conventional and organic alfalfa with foreign DNA, patented by Monsanto.

“We brought this case to court because I and other conventional farmers will no doubt suffer irreversible economic harm if the planting of GE alfalfa is allowed,” said plaintiff Phil Geerston.  “It was simply a question of our survival, and though we did not win on all points of the law, we are grateful that the practical result of today’s ruling is that Monsanto cannot take away our rights and Roundup Ready alfalfa cannot threaten our livelihoods.”

Alfalfa is the fourth most widely grown crop in the U.S., and a key source of dairy forage. Organic and conventional farmers faced the loss of their businesses due to widespread contamination from Monsanto’s patented GE alfalfa, and the foreseeable contamination of feral or wild alfalfa would ensure an ongoing and permanent source of transgenic pollution in wild places akin to that of invasive species. The New York Times (link) recently covered the epidemic of super-weeds Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops are causing across the country.

Further background information on the history of this case and scientific studies are available at truefoodnow.org/publications/supreme-court-briefs/.

#  #  #

The Center for Food Safety is national, non-profit, membership organization, founded in 1997, that works to protect human health and the environment by curbing the use of harmful food production technologies and by promoting organic and other forms of sustainable agriculture. On the web at: www.centerforfoodsafety.org

The Departments of Justice and Agriculture are hosting their next antitrust workshop in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday, June 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. While the event is focused on antitrust in dairy, this is an important opportunity to remind the agencies that seed industry concentration is harming farmers, small businesses, and consumers, and we need meaningful action. See our recent letter to DOJ-USDA detailing the consequences of seed industry concentration.

In March, OSA reported live from the first antitrust workshop in Iowa. (If you missed it, we reported on the morning farmer panel, afternoon seed panel, patent discussion, and even provided some pictures. Find the full transcript from the event here.)

Can you attend the meeting in Wisconsin? If so, here’s what you need to know:

1. Make sure you register.

2. Check out a map of the location.

University of Wisconsin-Madison
WisconsinUnion Theater
800 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706-1419
 
3. Attend community workshops and other events beginning Thursday, June 24. (One of the workshops will provide an update on the legal and regulatory issues regarding GE alfalfa.)

4. Send this information to your friends, family and colleagues.

5. Check back to Seed Broadcast for more updates throughout the week.