Rodale News
by Leah Zerbe
A potential GMO ban in Oregon’s Jackson County has drawn a slew of corporate money into the state, another sign that international chemical and GMO manufacturers will dump massive bucks into an attempt to restrict local and state government’s and communities’ right to govern themselves.
These companies have a lot to lose if consumers and governments start requiring labeling or implanting GMO planting bans. Companies like Monsanto make billions selling farmers genetically modified seeds and the chemicals required to be used with those seeds.
Trying to defeat grassroots movements away from GMOs using tons of money is nothing new to farming chemical companies. They’ve already successful outspent GMO labeling initiatives in Washington and California.
Here are the companies forking over cash to defeat the proposed GMO on planting GMO seeds in Jackson County. According to Center for Food Safety, these companies spent the following in just one day to defeat the Oregon GMO ban initiative:
• Monsanto, $183,294
• DuPont Pioneer, $129,647
• Syngenta, $75,000
• Bayer, $22,353
• BASF, $22,353
• Dow AgroSciences, $22,353
Opponents of the Oregon county’s attempted GMO ban have outspent local advocates eight-to-one, spending nearly $800,000 to beat the initiative compared for every $100,000 supporting the GMO ban.
“These chemical companies are willing to spend whatever it takes, because they know the truth: Genetically engineered crops offer zero public benefits,” says George Kimbrell, senior attorney at the Center for Food Safety. “They only offer risk of genetically engineered contamination to farmers and lost markets, as well as massively increased pesticides and environmental harm. All they do is generate billions of dollars for chemical companies.”
For specific reasons to join the anti-GMO movement, read The Biggest GMO Myths, Busted.
