It has been proven that chile can grow excellent yields in Taos County, and that it does well in acreage or greenhouses alongside other organically grown crops.

Allen Richardson, employed by Cerro Vista Farm, is not only a farmer and an advocate of organic and pesticide-free traditional farming. He is also involved in a campaign to keep native New Mexico landrace chile varieties free from contamination by accidental hybridization from genetically modified organisms (GMO) or genetically altered seed.

"It's like a Pandora's Box or letting the genie out of the bottle," Richardson said. "Once opened, the results can never be put back; there's no going back. Traditional crops can and are being changed forever by GMOs."

Richardson is a "seed sovereignty activist" volunteering with the community organization Sustain Taos. He gained his initial activist training between 2001 and 2003 as lead organizer for the New Mexico Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, where he headed campaigns contributing to the passage of statewide anti-predatory lending legislation in New Mexico. In addition, he organized among livestock owners in the South Valley to prevent agriculture from being zoned out.

Richardson was also outreach coordinator for the White Earth Land Recovery Project's successful campaign to protect Minnesota wild rice from contamination by engineered genes.

Risks of farming

While working harvesting varieties of chile , scallions, potatoes, and onions at Cerro Vista Farm, Richardson recently took the time to explain the risks of farming with GMOs Richardson said he had attended the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Chile Field Day in Las Cruces. There, he raised concerns about the 2008 funding package to NMSU, which includes funds to accelerate the genetic engineering of New Mexico chile . Richardson said it is confusing, because a 2007 legislative memorial backed traditional crops and seed stocks free from contamination by engineered genes.

"The board of Sustain Taos has authorized me to look into the matter based on my prior experience involving the controversy over the proposed engineering of wild rice by the University of Minnesota," he said.

"Because of my experience, I was invited to return to New Mexico." "I formalized this request to the New Mexico Chile Association (NMCA) administrator on Aug. 25 and have heard nothing since," Richardson continued. "I don't need to repeat that I am working on a farm near Questa that has grown and is harvesting a healthy crop of New Mexico chile ."

Central questions

Richardson said two central questions arise when discussing the relationship between GMOs and traditional crops: Is contamination inevitable? And, if so, does it matter?

He invites anyone who is concerned about GMOs, seed sovereignty, and keeping traditional crops from being modified or changed by intent or accident, to attend the Third Annual Symposium for Sustainable Food and Seed Sovereignty Friday and Saturday (Sept. 26-27) at Tesuque Pueblo.

"It would perhaps clarify the concerns of traditional farmers regarding genetic engineering in agriculture," he said.

Percy Schemiser, the Canadian farmer who was sued by Monsanto after his land was contaminated by GMOs, will be speaking at the event.

"After hearing his story, perhaps NMSU, the New Mexico Dept. of Agriculture (NMDA), and the New Mexico Chile Association personnel could explain why it is that we should not be worried about such things happening in New Mexico," said Richardson.

For information about the symposium, visit www.foodandseedconference. info or call (505) 955-7723.

Regarding his concerns and questions, Richardson elaborated that "what's changed recently in debates of this kind is that there is no longer any nuance to the first question, is contamination inevitable? The contamination of the long grain white rice harvest that came to light in 2006 ended any debate on that subject."

Richardson recommends anyone wanting to know more about what happened with the wild rice to read the article "Out of Bounds," in Nature Magazine, Jan. 10, 2007.

He expressed that he does have hope that the issue of GMOs and the effect they have can be negotiated by working with those involved.

"It's encouraging that during his presidential campaign, Gov. Bill Richardson (no relation) raised the issue that foods containing GMOs should be labeled as such, so that people who prefer not to eat foods containing them have a choice when shopping." 

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