The Oregon legislature is currently considering a bill (HB 2739) that would protect non-GE farmers by assigning liability for GE contamination to the patent holder, not farmers, and your legislators need to hear from YOU to keep this bill moving!
Over and over we see instances of GE crops contaminating their non-GE counterparts, devastating the value of these crops and hurting our nation’s farmers. Contamination by genetically engineered crops has caused literally billions of dollars of damage to U.S. agriculture. Who should bear the burden of contamination by GE crops, plants, and animals? The farmer supporting her family by growing valuable organic seed for other farmers and gardeners? Or the landowner who has been infested by hard-to-eradicate GE creeping bentgrass? Oregon is no stranger to this real and costly threat, from the GE wheat contamination that nearly shut down the wheat export market in 2013 to the ongoing struggle with escaped GE bentgrass, Oregonians deserve compensation when GE crops cause damage.
HB 2739 would rightfully put the liability for economic damages caused by GE contamination on the patent holder for the GE organism, not farmers, holding the Big Ag players who created and profited from these GE crops accountable.
Please take a minute to send an email to your legislators expressing your support for HB2739.