Keeping Monsanto's Fake Corn Out of Maine: What We Did.

• Author: Oden, Nancy
• Position: Brief Article

Maine's Pesticide Control Board (PCB) puts Out an agenda so we always know what's coming up. In late 1997, the agenda listed Novartis and another genetically engineered field corn. This was Bt corn with a Liberty (powerful herbicide) resistant gene stuck in, which served also as their marker gene. (Always ask, when inquiring what's in these fake foods, what are the marker genes. Often, the markers are more dangerous than the one they're applying for.)

I importuned the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Assoc. (MOFGA) to get involved. We called and e-mailed people we knew and made it clear what was at stake. When the fake corn came before the Board, we had people there from CLEAN Maine, MOFGA, the Maine Greens, Native Forest Network, Earth First!, students, and mommies with babies.

The Maine Commissioner of Agriculture said Maine farmers needed genetically engineered (GE) corn to be competitive with other states, etc. But we were strong and logical and clearly determined. Board chair, Dr. Alan Lewis, after hearing all testimony, said he saw no need for this corn, and carried the Board. His objection was that they hadn't proven need. Our position was that it was fundamentally wrong. Nonetheless, we won.

The Bangor Daily News reported that Maine was now the only state where permits for fake corn had been sought and refused. We were jubilant, but watchful. Sure enough, in November 1998, here came the agenda listing DeKalb (Monsanto) and Northrup-King fake corn applications on the PCB agenda. They were back.

This time we had the national and international genetic engineering e-mail lists. We sent out our fact sheet and list of Web sites so they could know whereof they spoke.

The local daily newspaper Bangor Daily News (BDN) printed my op-ed piece on GE food, then I wrote a letter which appeared in the BDN the day before the meeting, inviting everyone to come speak their minds.

Well, the day before the meeting, Monsanto called the PCB and withdrew their application. Since the item was still on the agenda, and since some people...