“This dangerous provision, the Monsanto Protection Act, strips judges of their constitutional mandate to protect consumer and farmer rights and the environment, while opening up the floodgates for the planting of new untested genetically engineered crops, endangering farmers, citizens and the environment,” writes Food Democracy Now, a grassroots group representing roughly 350,000 American farmers and citizens.
The urgent call to oppose House Resolution 933 (HR 933), known by some as the “Monsanto Protection Act” is underscored by recent reports that Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) worked directly with Monsanto representatives to craft the legislation that will likely reduce government oversight of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Despite doubts as to whether GMOs are safe for human consumption, roughly 70 percent of corn farmland and 93 percent of soy farmland in the U.S. are planted with crops genetically engineered to increase crop yields and resist pests.
Dozens of common food products found in grocery stores across the U.S. contain GMO products, including varieties of beets, salmon, potatoes, tomatoes, squash and rice.
President Obama signed the bill into law Tuesday, despite a petition with more than 250,000 signatures opposing the provision.
The Monsanto Protection Act is actually a provision tacked onto House Resolution 933, an unrelated piece of legislation drafted to avoid a government shutdown.
Troubling for opponents is the collusion between Congress and the private sector in writing the provision. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) admits working directly with Monsanto on a provision protecting agricultural corporations against lawsuits. “What it says is if you plant a crop that is legal to plant when you plant it, you get to harvest it,” said Blunt. “But it is only a one-year protection in that bill.”
Despite attempts to assuage fears, many believe that the bill, if passed into law, could undermine food safety.
“I think any time you tweak with the ability of the public to seek redress from the courts, you create a huge risk,” said Seattle attorney Bill Marler to the New York Daily News. Marler has previously won successful lawsuits for clients who suffered foodborne illnesses.
It may also hinder the ability of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to properly regulate and if needed, halt the sale of food items proven to be hazardous to human health.
Research has shown that GMO materials in foods could be linked to the growth of tumors.
Dr. Gilles-Eric Seralini, a professor of molecular biology in France, conducted a two-year $4 million study linking the growth of tumors in rats to Monsanto’s genetically modified maize known as “NK603.”
Seralini and his team of researchers have been smeared by major corporations seeking to undermine the credibility of their findings. Seralini was an outspoken critic of GMO foods before the study, raising suspicion of his objectivity.