For Immediate Release: 13 September, 2012
Campaign to Target Genetically Engineered Trees at Occupy Monsanto Conference
St. Louis, MO--The Campaign to Stop GE Trees http://nogetrees.org will participate in the Occupy Monsanto conference here on September 16-17 to sound the alarm about the dangers
genetically engineered trees pose to communities, wildlife and forests. The campaign asserts that Monsanto is complicit
in this emerging hazard.
Monsanto's glyphosate-based RoundUp herbicide will be used to control weeds around trees that are genetically engineered
to be "RoundUp Ready," or resistant to that herbicide. Use of this trait in GMO crops led to a documented tripling in
the use of the herbicide, resulting in widespread problems with RoundUp resistant weeds, which require applications of
more toxic herbicides to eliminate them. [1]
Just as GMO seed giant Monsanto has flooded the global market with their patented GMO seeds, ArborGen, which specializes
in genetically engineered tree seedlings, intends to do the same. [2] ArborGen is a joint project of International
Paper, MeadWestvaco and New Zealand-based Rubicon and one of their original joint owners was Monsanto.
"It's clear from researching ArborGen's public relations messaging that they see themselves as the new Monsanto," stated
Will Bennnington, of Global Justice Ecology Project. "They plan to follow the ruthless Monsanto model and don't care who
gets hurt in the process," he added.
The links between ArborGen and Monsanto run deep. Numerous current and former staff had long tenures at Monsanto before
being employed by ArborGen. [3]
"If ArborGen floods the market with their dangerous and uncontrollable GE trees, these trees will inevitably and
irreversibly escape into the environment," explained Anne Petermann, Executive Director of Global Justice Ecology
Project and Coordinator of the Campaign to Stop GE Trees. "Patent law has enabled Monsanto to infamously sue farmers for
possessing their GMO seeds after these seeds contaminated farmers' lands. Think what that could mean to National
Forests, National Parks or even private landowners if ArborGen's invasive GE trees were found on those lands," she
continued.
ArborGen currently has a request pending with the USDA to commercially sell hundreds of millions of their GE eucalyptus
tree seedlings annually for planting across the US South, claiming they will be used for bioenergy production and
climate change mitigation. [4] GE eucalyptus, however, are highly flammable and could lead to uncontrollable firestorms,
which would release huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Jim Hightower has referred to ArborGen's GE eucalyptus
trees as 'living firecrackers'."
Notes:
[1] Benbrook, C (2009). "Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years," The
Organic Center, November 2009. http://www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php?action=view_id=159
[2] Rubicon 2010 Annual Review: http://www.rubicon-nz.com/main.cfm?menu=news=100
[4] Rubicon 2010 Annual Review: http://www.rubicon-nz.com/main.cfm?menu=news=100