In a democracy, citizens are the real experts.

Democratic organizations in Lake County are proud to join with our local Lake Group Chapter of the Sierra club and hundreds of citizens in Lake County in supporting the Coalition for Responsible Agriculture’s proposal to create a genetically engineered (GE) free crop zone in Lake County. We believe that our local county legislators must take the most conservative route available to ensure both the safety of our food supply and that our local farmers have access to viable and safe soils.

Legislation is being proposed in Sacramento, supported by our Assemblywoman Patty Berg, to protect farmers who choose to grow organic from possible contamination from GE crops. Lake County Democrats are on the record as supporting this bill unequivocally.

Citizens do not have to understand any complex scientific principles to reject Genetically Engineered Foods (GMOs).

In March of 2007, the California Rice Commission has supported a moratorium on field-testing of GE rice. Markets in Japan and Europe have threatened boycott of California rice if GE contamination is possible. Anheuser Busch has refused to buy rice from Missouri, if the state allows genetically altered crops to be grown, for fear of contamination.

In February of 2007, a federal judge in Northern California decided in favor of farmers, consumers, and environmentalists who filed a suit calling the US Department of Agriculture's approval of genetically engineered alfalfa a threat to farmer’s livelihoods and a risk to the environment. He ordered a full environmental impact study on Round-up Ready alfalfa.

In the last month, Walmart announced that its store brand milk in the United States would now come exclusively from cows not treated with genetically engineered growth hormones.

Genetic modification actually cuts the productivity of crops, an authoritative new study shows, and undermining repeated claims that a switch to the controversial technology is needed to solve the growing world food crisis. The study – carried out over the past three years at the University of Kansas in the US grain belt – has found that GM soya produces about 10 percent less food than its conventional equivalent, contradicting assertions by advocates of the technology that it increases yields.

Despite industry claims, genetically modified food has not been tested for safety as the basis of a lifelong human diet. In fact, Americans now serve as the experimental guinea pigs. If industry has its way, soon you can have your burger (from cows fed Roundup Ready corn and Roundup Ready soybeans) topped with Roundup Ready lettuce and Roundup Ready tomatoes, and your Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) potatoes will be fried in Roundup Ready canola oil. Colas are already made from Bt and herbicide-tolerant corn.

For about 10,000 years, farmers and gardeners have been breeding grains and vegetables for taste, successful growing and nutritional value. Genetic engineering requires patent lawyers, Wall street investors and giant corporations to breed seeds that are more profitable for large corporations.

As Democrats, we have precedent in proposing, supporting and enacting legislation that ensures and protects the rights of our families and our communities to make their own choices. The ability to provide safe healthy food is one of those fundamental choices and must be protected. There is too much unknown about GE crops to assume that they are safe for our children and families and our communities.

Wanda Harris is chair of the Lake County Democratic Central Committee, Sunol Westergren chairs the Lake County Democratic Club and Mark Knaup is chair of the South Lake County Democratic Club.

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