Town to Town Campaign on Genetic Engineering
From 2002 to 2007 NOFA/Mass helped Massachusetts residents living in towns which had a town meeting form of government bring the issue of genetic engineering to public discussion and a vote. Although not binding, when passed these resolutions expressed the sentiment of the townspeople and were sent to state and federal representatives and senators, as well as to the press. In all, 29 towns passed one or more resolutions opposing genetic engineering of food as a part of this campaign. Although we are no longer able to continue to support this campaign financially, this archive of materials from that campaign may be of help to others wishing to continue such work. Thus we leave it up as a historical resource. NOFA/Mass continues to educate about genetic engineering in agriculture through our monthly updates posted here." June 2006 News Release: Nine Massachusetts Towns Vote Against Genetic Engineering By NOFA/Mass
Massachusetts Towns against Genetic Engineering
Educational Resources
Organizing Resources
Examples of Resolutions that Have Passed in Massachusetts Join the Massachusetts Town-to-Town Campaign on Genetic Engineering To Pass a Resolution Against Genetic Engineering in Your Town!Posted 1/5/2006 Since 2002, one hundred and twelve towns and cities in New England have passed resolutions opposing genetic engineering in food and farming. Last year, nine more Massachusetts towns passed similar resolutions, bringing the total number of Massachusetts towns opposing genetic engineering to twenty-one. This widespread advocacy at town meetings across New England is one of the most promising signs that we can stop the biotech industry from hijacking the world's food supply. We at the Massachusetts Town-to-Town Campaign on Genetic Engineering would like to invite you to organize a resolution against genetic engineering at your next town meeting. Since 2002, we have educated the public about the threats of genetic engineering to food safety and local food security, and empowered people to use local government to raise their voices and find solutions to these problems. By passing resolutions against genetic engineering in your town meeting, you will be educating your community about this common threat, providing a model of grassroots political engagement, and building political support to change policy at the state and federal levels. We will support your local activities to educate your town about genetic engineering and local governance. We can provide: * An informational packet on how to get your town to pass a resolution opposing genetic engineering. Recent events only underscore the importance of these efforts. It surfaced this summer that biotech giant Bayer CropScience recklessly contaminated the rice crop of U.S. Rice farmers with an unapproved genetically engineered rice variety. According to the Center for Food Safety, Bayer may be liable for $150 million in market losses suffered by U.S. farmers, because many European countries have rejected the contaminated rice. The affected farmers have filed 15 class-action lawsuits against the company. After the contamination episode came to light, the USDA once again demonstrated its willing collusion with the biotech industry by simply approving the untested rice for sale. Joseph Mendelson, Legal Director of the Center for Food Safety said, "In effect, USDA is sanctioning an 'approval-by-contamination' policy that can only increase the likelihood of untested genetically engineered crops entering the food supply in the future, and further erode trust in the wholesomeness of U.S. food overseas." This story illustrates the biotech industry's unrelenting push to market its product no matter how it harms farmers, seed savers, and public health. Indeed, Bayer's contamination of rice is just one outrage out of many committed by a global industry that is out of control. Even outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has recently warned of "catastrophic" results from the rapid and unregulated emergence of new biotechnologies. He said, "As biological research expands, and technologies become increasingly accessible, this potential for accidental or intentional harm grows exponentially." But if the threats of biotechnology are on a global scale, it is equally true that some of the best solutions available to us can be found through our own local town governments. But we can't do it without you. For our campaign to succeed, we need people from all walks of life, people like you, to organize in your communities. For more information contact jack@nofamass.org
This page was last modified on March 18, 2009 at 10:39:08 AM.
Translate this page: |
