Press Release

September 24, 2004

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Vanessa Bogenholm, VB Farms
Chair of the CCOF Board of Directors
(831) 728-9218, vbbbb@aol.com

CCOF Supports GE-Free Initiatives

(September 24, 2004) Santa Cruz, CA - California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), a trade association representing more than 1,300 organic producers, has announced its support for GE-Free initiatives across the state of California. Residents of Butte, Humboldt, Marin and San Luis Obispo Counties will vote this November to determine the fate of genetically engineered (GE) crops in their areas. Activists in Santa Barbara County want to convince their Board of Supervisors to pass a one-year moratorium on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and supporters in Alameda County are attempting to convince their Board of Supervisors to voluntarily put an initiative on the November ballot. If that fails, they will begin the process of gathering signatures. A GE-Free petition drive is also underway in Sonoma County.

"The issue of GE crops is currently one of the biggest concerns for organic producers because of contamination issues. Organic consumers expect to buy a GMO-free product. Non-organic growers are also worried about the potential for contamination of their crops. Consumers have expressed the need for testing and labeling of GE products, which is currently not required by the FDA," said Vanessa Bogenholm, owner of VB Farms and Chair of the Board of Directors of CCOF. "We at CCOF feel consumers have the right to know what they are eating. If the GMO producers feel their products are safe for consumption, why don't they want to tell the consumer?"

CCOF has developed a GMO fact sheet that includes scientific evidence that GMOs are not as safe as proponents advocate.

Earlier this year, CCOF was part of the Californians for GE-Free Agriculture coalition that successfully stopped the proposed planting of pharmaceutical GE rice in the prime rice fields of the Sacramento Valley. CCOF supports a moratorium on the propagation of GE crops until 1) accurate research assessing the risks GE crops pose to wildlife, human health, and soil ecology is presented, 2) contamination of organic and non-organic crops by GE crops is the liability of the patent owners and growers of the GE crops, and 3) an adequate regulatory framework is in place to protect organic and non-organic farmers from contamination at all stages of the farming process.

Mendocino County took the lead last March when residents there voted to ban GE crops. It was the first county in the United States to pass such legislation, with CCOF members spearheading the campaign. Witnessing that success, GE-Free groups started cropping up across the state, gathering voter signatures for their November initiatives. Without waiting for a ballot initiative, the Trinity County Board of Supervisors voted on August 3rd to pass a measure that would keep genetically engineered crops and animals out of their Northern California county.

Read more about CCOF's position on genetic engineering.

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CCOF, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1973 and is one of the nation's largest and oldest third-party organic certifying agencies. CCOF's purpose is to promote and support organic agriculture in California and elsewhere through:

A premier organic certification program for growers, processors, handlers, and retailers.

Programs to increase awareness of and demand for certified organic product and to expand public support for organic agriculture.

Advocacy for governmental policies that protect and encourage organic agriculture.