GE-Free legislation drives
CE/AES education
Alison Van Eenennaam, Ph.D.
Cooperative Extension Specialist
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics
alvaneenennaam@ucdavis.edu
6/14/2005
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
It all began one sunny
September day in 2003....
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
Maybe we should we show some interest ?
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
Yep – we should definitely show some interest !
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
A coalition committed to ecologically
responsible and economically viable
agriculture. We provide education, training
and resources in support of the rights of
farmers and communities to protect
themselves from the environmental, human
health and economic risks of genetic
engineering in agriculture.
Coalition Members
• California Certified Organic Farmers - CCOF
• The Center for Environmental Health
• Center for Food Safety Community Alliance
with Family Farmers
• Ecological Farming Association - EFA
• Four Elements Farm
• Genetic Engineering Action Network
• Occidental Arts and Ecology Center
• Organic Consumers Association
Funding sources
• Ben and Jerry's Foundation
• Patagonia
• Columbia Foundation
• John Merck Fund
• Firedoll Foundation
• Gaia Fund
• Sierra Fund: Funk Charitable Trust
• Wendy P. McCaw Foundation
• William Zimmerman Foundation
• Pacific Chapter of the National Cooperative
Grocers Association
• Chico Natural Foods
• Co-oportunity Consumers Co-op
• North Coast Co-op
• Ocean Beach People's Food Co-op
• Quincy Natural Foods
• Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op
• Briar Patch Community Market
• Ukiah Natural Foods
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
Makes it unlawful for any person, firm, or
corporation to propagate, cultivate, raise, or grow
genetically modified organisms in Mendocino County
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
Mendocino Educational Efforts
CE maintained neutrality
Worked in collaboration with, and at the request
of, local farm advisors (John Harper, Gregg
Giusti, Glenn McGourty) to provide objective
science-based information
 Employers Council of Mendocino County,
1/16/04 (Lemaux and Van Eenennaam)
 Mendocino College, 2/26/04 (Kent Bradford)
 Wrote 4 fact-based pieces on different aspects
of genetic engineering for local newspaper
(Lemaux, Van Eenennaam, McHughen, Gusti)
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
The discourse in Mendocino was inflamed by alarming
assertions and facts that are not derived from,
nor supported by, the scientific literature
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“I will be voting yes on Measure H for many reasons, but mostly
because GMOs have affected me personally. When my son was
6 month (sic) old and receiving chemotherapy for leukemia, he
was also receiving soy lipids (fat) intraveneously because he had
lost the ability to eat or drink. The longer he received the lipids,
the higher the dose of chemo. When I asked why I was told that
the soybeans used were genetically modified to be “Round Up
Ready,” they were putting food into my son’s veins that could
withstand the chemicals they were using to kill the leukemia
blood cells, making the chemo less effective. In order to keep
my son alive nutritionally, the higher doses of chemo almost
took him away ”
Jenny Shattuck-Hale, Ukiah Daily Journal, 2/20/04.
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
March 2, 2004, Mendocino. Measure H
passed 56.3% for and 43.7% against.
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And so now in Mendocino county if nowhere
else in the world “DNA or deoxyribonucleic
acid means a complex protein that is
present in every cell of an organism”
Measure won by ~ 3,240 votes.
Shortly thereafter Board of Supervisors voted
to ban GE in Trinity county (8/04) .
At the time of these votes, there were no GE
plants or animals in production in either
Mendocino or Trinity County.
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
And by August 2004 it had
developed into an “issue”
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
What was Biotech
workgroup’s response ?
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Despite an attempt to obtain funding for Biotechnology outreach activities
(3/04), program council “did not feel that there was any urgency to this
issue” and even formulating an ANR position statement emphasizing the
need for science-based information on the issue proved to be unattainable
WE FORGED AHEAD ANYWAY IN RESPONSE TO
DEMAND FROM COUNTY-BASED CE ADVISORS
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UCCE was by definition neutral on the issue – focused on
outreach providing science-based information to voters.
Needed AES expertise to provide answers to a plethora of
very technical questions
Also needed scientists familiar with the issues who were
willing to take a position for “debate” formats
AES faculty - Kent Bradford, Rick Roush, Martina McGloughlin,
even Reg Gomes was a speaker at a forum in Marin !
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
Presentations given to local groups at their request 2004/05....
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California State Farm Bureau, Sacramento, 5/14/04, Lemaux and Van Eenennaam
UCCE farm advisors and agricultural commissioners on GM initiatives in Davis 6/22/2004
and Monterey 6/29/2004 , Lemaux and Van Eenennaam
Lake County Sierra Club, 9/7/2004, Bradford
State agricultural commissioners, Yolo, Lemaux
California Planting Cotton Seed Distributors (CPCSD) Expo., 9/14/2004, Shafter, Kern County, Roush
Santa Cruz Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission, 9/16/2004, Lemaux and Van Eenennaam
UCCE Small Grains workshop, Davis 9/22/2004, Van Eenennaam
UC Davis Campus Greens, Environmental Law Society, UC Davis students for Sustainable Agriculture,
and Yolo GE-Free Agriculture, 10/8/2004, Roush
Sacramento Organics, Yolo GE-Free Agriculture, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis,
10/8/2004 Roush and Bradford
CSU Chico, 9/22/2004, McHughen
CSU San Luis Obispo, 10/6/2004, McHughen
CSU Humbolt State, 10/27/04, Lemaux
Marin Conservation League, 10/28/2004, Bradford
Presentation on anti-GE initiatives to ANR Pest Management Coordinating Conference,
San Benadino, 11/2/2004 Lemaux,Van Eenennaam and Vargas
Presentation “Genetic Engineering in California Agriculture” to UCCE San Benito County Continuing
Education Seminar, Hollister, 12/9/2004, Van Eenennaam
Presentation “Genetic Engineering in California Agriculture” to Tulare Ag Expo, 2/8/2005, Lemaux
and Van Eenennaam
Presentation “Genetic Engineering in California Agriculture” to California Agriculture Symposium,
Sacramento, 3/23-24/2005, Van Eenennaam
Presentation “Genetic Engineering in California Agriculture” to Sonoma American Association of
University Women (AAUW), Healdsburg, 3/31/05, Van Eenennaam
Presentation “Genetic Engineering in California Agriculture” to the Sonoma County Farm Bureau,
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
4/20/05, Van Eenennaam
A 30 minute peer-reviewed video
explains the science behind
genetic engineering was
developed with funding from the
Animal Science Department
“Genetic Engineering in California Agriculture”
• Development began 6/1 and released 9/1/2004.
• Over 100 VHS or DVD copies were provided to all interested UCCE
county extension educators and agricultural commissioner offices
• The video was also made freely available to a wide general audience
in September 2004 though innovative distribution channels
including broadcasting on UCTV (“Dish Network” Station 9412) and local
cable stations throughout the state, and a direct streaming link
(mms://STREAM.ucanr.org/Windows Media/UCTV_04_06.asf).
http://groups.ucanr.org/anronuctv/Video_Program_Sales_Information/
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
ANTI-GMO ORDINANCES PASSED
ANTI-GMO ORDINANCE VOTED ON
AND REJECTED, NOVEMBER 2004
ANTI-GMO ORDINANCES UNDER CONSIDERATION
ANTI-GMO ORDINANCE QUALIFIED FOR BALLOT
PRO-GMO RESOLUTION PASSED
Green outline denotes major GE-crop growing areas
As of 5/25/05
Counties where CE GE informational
outreach events have been held
GE Outreach
Efforts
2004-2005
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
One of the most divisive issues regarding
genetic engineering is the suggestion that a
choice must be made between either “organic
agriculture” OR “genetic engineering”.
“Co-existence is related to the principle
that all farmers should be able to
cultivate freely the crops of their choice
using the production system they prefer.
The general concept of co-existence is
already well established in California
agriculture with conventional, organic,
and integrated pest management
systems working successfully together.”
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
ANR CORE ISSUES GRANT APPLICATION:
Co-existence of Diverse Production Systems in
California Agriculture: Development of Science-based
Educational Materials and Outreach Programs.
Co-PIs and Collaborators
ANR
Kent Brittan, Benny Fouche, Peggy Lemaux, Alan
McHughen, Dan Putnam, Alison Van
Eenennaam, Ron Vargas, Carl Winter, Dan
Putnam
AES
Kent Bradford, Norman Ellstrand , Pam Ronald ,
Rick Roush, Brian Wright
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education
Co-existence of Diverse Production
Systems in California Agriculture:
Development of Science-based Educational
Materials and Outreach Programs.
$35,000
1. Development of
science-based
educational materials
on specific concerns
with regard to the use
of genetic engineering
in California agriculture.
2. Development of
educational materials
on methods to enable
co-existence.
3. Travel for project
planning, UCCE "Train
the trainer" workshops,
educational symposia
forums.
Animaland
Biotechnology
and Genomics Education
Conclusions
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This issue involved the whole continuum because
there was a demand for the information in the
counties, and there were campus-based AES and CE
people with expertise who were willing to participate
This outreach effort in 2004 was essentially done in
the absence of any institutional support –
sometimes the job gets done in spite of the system
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As a result of the connections that were made in
this effort we were able to put together a successful
ANR grant application with strong CE and AES
participation and support
Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Education