A recent article in the Epoch Times featured our August meeting with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. As co-organizers, along with Organic Seed Alliance, RAFI brought farmers to the table to address their concerns over the threat of contamination in U.S. crops, due to the USDA’s oversight. More than 150 farmers, businesses and organizations signed a public letter delivered to the Secretary last month.
Just Foods Program Director Michael Sligh is quoted, saying that “this technology is porous and that it is extremely difficult for the technology to stay put in crops like wheat and corn that are wind pollinated and widely planted.”
Further in the article, he adds: “It’s critical that we have systems in place so that multiple markets can have fairness, can thrive, and that’s the heart of our concern. We do feel like there needs to be more oversight, and we also believe that there needs to be more responsibility by the owners of the technology. If my sheep go out of my farm and eat my neighbors corn I’m responsible for that.”