No More Field Trials for Unapproved GMO Crops
Unapproved GMO crops are being grown around the country in field trials, but since these crops don't stay put, they are popping up again and again in fields outside the test sites. This means that it's possible that unapproved crops have made their way into our food system. This hurts farmers and puts consumers at risk.
The USDA has not been enforcing requirements for field trials that would prevent the contamination to neighboring fields. It is clear that the USDA does not have control over these field trials, so they should put a stop to them.
Tell the USDA and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to stop field trials of GMO crops.
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
I urge you to declare a moratorium on open field trials of genetically engineered (GMO) crops.
It is clear from the USDA's recent failure to determine the source of the Roundup-resistant wheat found in an Oregon field and the newest incident of GMO wheat found at Montana State University that the USDA does not have GMO technology under control. These are not the first incidences of unapproved GMO varieties being discovered in fields, and it's possible that this unapproved GMO wheat has already made its way into the food system.
The USDA has not been enforcing requirements for field trials that would prevent the contamination to neighboring fields. This lax oversight jeopardizes farmers who are not growing GMO crops and face costly contamination from these experimental plots, which jeopardizes their export markets.
If the USDA and the patent-holders for these crops cannot properly control this technology, then they must put a stop to open field trials before even more incidents like these occur.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
