SB1056 VICTORY!

SB1056, the bill that would have preempted local restrictions on genetically engineered
organisms, failed to make it through the California Senate, and has died with the close of the
legislative year!

This is a major victory, and one that could not have been achieved without the hard work of so
many of you who visited, called and wrote to your legislators and organized others to do so.
Below is the press release that went out last week.

Many, many thanks for all your hard work and stay tuned for the next steps!

The Cal GE-Free Team


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 1, 2006
Contact: Renata Brillinger
(707) 874-0316 • renata [at] oaec.org


CALIFORNIA SENATE PRESERVES LOCAL RULES
ON GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS
Senate rebuffs biotech industry-sponsored play to pre-empt local democracy

Proponents of precautions for genetically engineered crops today declared victory in their
battle to defend the rights of counties and cities to enact local restrictions on genetically
engineered (GE) organisms. SB1056, a bill that would have pre-empted such local laws, failed to
make it out of committee in the California Senate and died with the close of the legislative
year.

The Monsanto-backed bill was introduced last year after the passage of four county and two city
bans on GE crops. It was opposed by associations of cities and counties, environmentalists,
organic and family farmers, and thousands of citizens concerned that it would have pre-empted
democratically established local rules. California currently has no state regulations to protect
farmers, consumers or the environment from the risks of GE crops.

“In the absence of statewide safeguards, local governments have stepped up to the plate and
taken the precaution of restricting GE crops,” said Lisa Bunin, Ph.D., member of the Santa Cruz
County Public Health Commission GE Subcommittee. “With the passage of local GE-free laws, these
governments have sent a clear message that the state needs to act not only to protect the
state’s diverse agriculture, but also public health and the environment.”

One of the central concerns about genetically engineered crops is contamination of the food
supply by engineered varieties. Just this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced
that an unapproved variety of GE rice has been contaminating the U.S. rice supply for years.
Japan, the E.U., and other important U.S. rice importing countries reacted immediately with bans
and restrictions on long grain rice imports, shaking the rice industry and causing the rice
futures market to plummet by more than $150 million so far.

Peggy Miars, Executive Director of California Certified Organic Farmers, explains, “Organic
farmers are often portrayed as the main farming sector concerned about genetic contamination.
While it is true that organic markets are highly vulnerable to GE contamination, the recent rice
fiasco demonstrates once again that this is an issue for all farmers, both organic and
non-organic, whose customers don’t want to buy gene altered foods.”

“The rice contamination incident highlights the inadequacy of the federal GE regulatory system,
and the high economic stakes involved when contamination occurs. It serves as a wake-up call to
California lawmakers about the need for state legislation on GE,” stated Rebecca Spector, Center
for Food Safety’s West Coast Director.

Beginning last year, the biotechnology industry pushed for similar pre-emption laws in several
U.S. states, fearful that California’s model of local bans would take hold elsewhere. It has
also spent decades fighting all over the world against any regulatory restrictions on
experimental GE foods.

“By not even bringing SB1056 to a vote, the Senate sent a clear message that enacting
pre-emption before state legislation is bad policy,” said Renata Brillinger, Director of
Californians for GE-Free Agriculture. “We commend Senate leadership, and look forward to moving
ahead with discussions on effective state laws to address the problems associated with genetic
engineering of crops and food.”



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Californians for GE-Free Agriculture (http://www.calgefree.org) is a coalition of sustainable farming,
environmental, and consumer organizations including: California Certified Organic Farmers •
Center for Environmental Health • Center for Food Safety • Community Alliance with Family
Farmers • Ecological Farming Association • Occidental Arts and Ecology Center • True Food
Network


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