The declaration was crafted during a first-ever Farmers' Summit Conference on Genetic Engineering in Agriculture convened by Farm Aid on the eve of its annual concert in Virginia last September. More than 25 farm groups, representing tens of thousands of farmers, signed the declaration, including the National Family Farm Coalition and the American Corn Growers Association. Already many critical foreign markets have closed their doors to GMOs, limiting trade opportunities for farmers who are struggling against low prices and bad farm policy. Gary Goldberg, CEO of the American Corn Growers Association, urged all farmers to weigh the pros and cons of planting genetically engineered seed before deciding what crops to plant this coming spring. Export markets in Europe and Asia are saying 'no' to foods produced from genetically engineered crops.
Farmers know that they have to respond to consumer demand if they are to survive.
The declaration also says that inadequate testing of genetically engineered crops could open the door to massive liability from damage caused by genetic drift, increased weed and pest resistance and the destruction of wildlife and beneficial insects. Consumers are right to question the safety and viability of GE crops. There hasn't been enough research on how these products will behave once they're released. The farmers called on called on Monsanto, DuPont, Novartis and other biotechnology companies to promote the sale of traditional commercial varieties over genetically engineered seed to farmers for the coming crop year until an independent and comprehensive assessment of the social, environmental, health and market impacts of genetically engineered seed is available. Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar said the summit conference and declaration mark a historic moment in the rising debate over genetic engineering in agriculture.