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The President of the United States: No Free Pass for New Genetically Engineered Crops!
  1. Signatures
    1,046 out of 1,500
    Petitioning
    1. The President of the United States (+ 8 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The President of the United States
      • The U.S. Senate
      • The U.S. House of Representatives
      • Administrator Gregory Parham
      • Administrator Gregory Parham
      • Administrator Gregory Parham
      • Secretary Tom Vilsack
      • Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
      • Administrator Cindy Smith
  2. Created By
    Caleb Laieski
    Phoenix, AZ
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

In April, we asked organic activists to take action to stop an outrageous US Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposal for the biotech industry to police itself. Despite the opposition of 10,000 Organic Consumers Association members, the USDA is going forward with the controversial deregulation, which allows companies like Monsanto to decide whether their genetically engineered crops pose environmental risks.

And if this wasn't bad enough, this month, things got much, much worse. For the first time ever, the USDA announced that it was waiving its regulatory authority over a new genetically engineered lawn grass made by Scotts Miracle-Gro, letting the company start selling the Franken-grass without any review of how it might effect human health, the environment, or organic farmers whose pastures will be contaminated. Essentially, the USDA has created a new class of genetically engineered plants, animals and animal drugs that get a free pass through any government regulation or review.

Action Credit: Organic Consumers Association

Why People Are Signing
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Please Rethink the Dangerous Deregulation of Genetically Engineered Crops

To Whom It May Concern

For the first time ever, the USDA announced that it was waiving its regulatory authority over a new genetically engineered lawn grass made by Scotts Miracle-Gro, letting the company start selling the Franken-grass without any review of how it might effect human health, the environment, or organic farmers whose pastures will be contaminated. Essentially, the USDA has created a new class of genetically engineered plants, animals and animal drugs that get a free pass through any government regulation or review.

With this decision, the USDA has opened the farm gate to any genetically engineered crop now under development that does not use viral material. That's a loophole the biotech industry could use to contaminate the entire food supply. This is very dangerous territory, we need stronger safeguards against GE crops, not a slippery slope towards total deregulation.

Monsanto spokespersons and biotech industry reps are claiming they won't try this with food, arguing that genetically engineered food crops would not be accepted by the market without government approval. Don't be so sure. Genetically engineered foods don't have to be labeled, so there's nothing stopping new Frankenfoods from being secretly injected into the food supply.

Please rethink the dangerous deregulation of GE crops and support consumers' right to know.

Regards,

[Your name]

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