Dave --

MS. FRANKLIN: Letourneau.

CO-MODERATOR JONES: Letourneau, thank you.

MR. LETOURNEAU: Yes. I'm David Letourneau owner and manager of Broken Branch Ranch and chairman of the Government Affairs Committee and member of the board of directors for the California Certified Organic Farmers and I want to thank you for this opportunity.

I would like to direct my comments specifically to the issues regarding genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms, the actual dangers of genetic engineering to the integrity of organic production and the effects on human health and the environment, the inadequacies of our governmental regulatory agencies and the resulting problems with international trade. By genetic engineering, I mean the altering of the genetic code by recombinant DNA techniques.

Last year, we had contamination of certified organic corn by the pollen from corn that had been genetically altered with Bacillus thurengiensis toxin. Last month, we had evidence presented by Cornell University of a 44 percent mortality rate of the Monarch butterfly caterpillar that had ingested pollen from the Bt altered corn.

This spring a genetically contaminated soybean seed was sold to unsuspecting organic farmers. Research in Scotland shows that rats fed genetically altered potatoes developed atrophied livers, shrunken brains and swollen testicles as compared to rats fed normal potatoes who developed none of these symptoms.

Research in the U.S. shows that cows injected with the recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone have increased levels of insulin like growth factor number 1. These increased levels have been shown to cause prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. It is unknown what the effects are on the unborn babies and prepubescent children.

The USDA jointly owns the patent for the Terminator seed with the Delta and Pine Land Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Monsanto. Thus, has the USDA become not only the regulator of and promoter for, but partners with these biotech companies.

The EPA requires Bt genetically altered crops to be registered as pesticides, while the FDA allows them to be sold as food. Now, the U.S. Trade Representative and the World Trade Organization are trying to force the other countries of the world to accept this flawed technology.

The power of the consumer will ultimately prove stronger than that of the multi-national corporations, U.S. regulatory agencies, trade representatives and treaties. If European, Japanese and American consumers reject hormone treated beef and genetically manipulated food, then all the trade representatives, regulatory agencies and treaties in the world are not going to matter.

However, this should not be a battle between the people and its representatives. We are here to ask for your help. We want an end to this unregulated and potentially disastrous technology. We want to change the direction. We no longer want to be the guinea pigs for inadequately tested and unregulated bad science for the benefit of big business.

CCOF is opposed to the continued release of genetically modified organisms into the environment by experimentation in open fields and in commercial application. CCOF insists on the labeling of all products of genetic engineering so we can all exercise our free choice. This is the true meaning of transparency. And instead of risk assessment, we are calling for the application of a precautionary principle, which demands that no action be taken until you can prove no harm.

Thank you.