FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 14, 2001, 10 AM EDT

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Washington, DC - Each year biotechnology companies plant thousands of acres of experimental genetically engineered crops in fields across the U.S. Nearly 30,000 field tests of genetically engineered organisms were authorized by the Department of Agriculture between 1987 and 2000 despite serious environmental and contamination threats and inadequate regulations in place to monitor their impacts, according to a new report released today by U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Genetically Engineered Food Alert coalition.

The report, Raising Risk: Field Testing of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S., documents for the first time the extent of field testing of genetically engineered crops in the U.S and highlights the potential risks associated with the release of genetically engineered plants into the environment.

"Our environment is being used as a laboratory for widespread experimentation on genetically engineered organisms with profound risks that, once released, can never be recalled," said Richard Caplan, environmental advocate for U.S. Public Interest Research Group and report author. "Until proper safeguards are in place, this unchecked experiment should cease."

Experimental field crop plots pose increased risks to farmers in terms of the threat of contamination. Farmers do not have access to where test plots of genetically engineered crops are growing, nor how prevalent they are. The current system leaves farmers susceptible to cross-pollination between their crops, which may not be grown with genetically engineered seed, and industry's experimental GE crop plots.

Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are investigating StarLink, a genetically engineered corn, not approved for human consumption because it may be a human food allergen. Last year, the Genetically Engineered Food Alert discovered that StarLink had contaminated the human food supply which forced FDA to recall over 300 food products and cost farmers, food processors and the grain industry millions of dollars in lost profit.

"If any one of the 29,000 experimental test plots has cross-pollinated with local agriculture crops they could have the same effect on the U.S. food supply as StarLink has," Caplan said.

Plants engineered to produce proteins with insecticidal properties, such as the common genetically engineered Bt corn, may damage the soil, or harm so-called nontarget species like the monarch butterfly. Further, plants engineered to be virus resistant can cause new viral strains to evolve or make existing viruses more severe. If field experiments are not properly monitored, genetic pollution can result, inadvertently releasing experimental genes into the environment putting farmers' livelihoods and the environment at risk.

Key findings of the report include

• More than 60% of all field tests conducted in the last year now contain secret genes classified as "Confidential Business Information," which means that the public has no access to information about experiments being conducted in their communities.

• Between 1987-2000, Monsanto (or a now wholly owned subsidiary) applied to conduct the greatest number of field tests every year, with nearly 2,000 applications.

• Since 1995, seven of the top 10 companies seeking to conduct field tests have merged into two companies: Monsanto and DuPont.

• As of January 2001, the ten states and territories that have hosted the greatest number of field test sites are: Hawaii (3,275), Illinois (2,832), Iowa (2,820), Puerto Rico (2,296), California (1,435), Idaho (1,060), Minnesota (1,055), Nebraska (971), Wisconsin (918), and Indiana (886).

These experimental genetically engineered crops are growing in the open environment to test the outcome and environmental impact of certain gene combinations. Genetically Engineered Food Alert coalition charged that field testing genetically engineered crops in such a widespread way poses serious threats to the environment and neighboring farmers.

A major goal of the field tests is to obtain information about potential ecological risks associated with genetically engineered organisms. However, independent reviews of the data collected by the Department of Agriculture demonstrate that very little data has been collected. As a result, despite the large number of field experiments that have occurred, fundamental questions about their impact remain unanswered, including long-term impacts on the soil and nontarget species.

"Any new technology must be tested, but there are important scientific issues that must be addressed before genetically engineered foods can be released into the environment even in the context of testing," said Paul Muegge, a farmer and Oklahoma State Senator. "To conduct field tests before this has been done is both premature and hazardous; it is like carrying out clinical trials of a drug before the laboratory tests are complete."

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U.S. PIRG is the national lobbying office for state-based Public Interest Research Groups across the country. The state PIRGs are independent, non-profit, non-partisan advocates for the public interest. www.pirg.org/uspirg

Genetically Engineered Food Alert founding members include: Center for Food Safety, Friends of the Earth, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, National Environmental Trust, Organic Consumers Association, Pesticide Action Network North America, and the State Public Interest Research Groups. Genetically Engineered Food Alert supports the removal of genetically engineered ingredients from grocery store shelves unless they are adequately safety tested and labeled. The campaign is endorsed by more than 200 scientists, religious leaders, doctors, chefs, environmental and health leaders, as well as farm groups.