US Strong Arm Tactics on
Frakenfoods Are Backfiring

United Press International
January 18, 2002

Genetic crop bill could backfire on U.S.

The American Corn Growers Association is convinced efforts by interests in
the United States to pressure importers and consumers in Japan, Europe and
other parts of the world to accept genetically modified crops will wind up
backfiring against the U.S.

Keith Dittrich, president of the association, said that agricultural
interests in the U.S. should respect the preference of officials in other
countries for conventional forms of corn, soybeans and other crops.
Dittrich sent a letter to Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa,
urging the rejection of a bill that would penalize foreign grain buyers who
refuse to accept genetically modified exports, and in some cases would force
them to accept whatever crops were provided for sale.

"We feel this legislation will be used as a means to force foreign grain
buyers and consumers into accepting genetically modified organisms and
crops," Dittrich wrote.

Many nations that are part of the European Union are refusing to accept
genetically modified crops even though the U.S. interests that produce them
claim there is no health risk. Officials note U.S. corn exports to the
European Union have dropped from 2.8 million metric tons in 1995-96, to
6,300 metric tons during the last marketing year, and no megatons in the
current marketing year as of Jan. 4.

Japan imported 52 million bushels less of U.S.-grown corn during 2000-01
than in the previous year, specifically because of concerns about StarLink
corn, a variety that gives off a toxin that is meant to discourage insects.
Larry Mitchell, the associations CEO, said it should not be seen as an
"anti-biotechnology vote" to lessen the pressure on other countries to
purchase genetically modified crops.

"Its a question of giving our foreign customers the choice to buy whatever
products they prefer," Mitchell said.

"American farmers need to know that we can sell what we grow," Mitchell
said. "And we should have the right to buy, plant, grow, harvest and sell
the varieties of crops we choose."

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BIO wants Bush to pressure Europe on genetic crops

The Biotechnology Industry Organization wants President Bush to put pressure
on European countries that try to refuse to accept genetically modified
crops from the United States.

The organization says those countries need to be reminded of international
law, which would differ with the European Union, which has erected various
non-tariff trade barriers to discourage the genetic crops from being sold to
European nations.

"The illegal European moratorium on regulatory approval of crop varieties
improved through biotechnology has festered to the point that it now
threatens the viability of the global trading system, which is based on
rules grounded in sound science that the European Union continues to
ignore," the group wrote, in a letter to Bush.
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