STATEMENT OF BILL CHRISTISON, PRESIDENT - NATIONAL FAMILY FARM COALITION:

Press conference announcing class action lawsuit against Monsanto and co-conspirators:

Tuesday December 14, 1999

Today is a historic day for family farmers and consumers, because today, we begin the process to bring economic and social justice to the family farmers and consumers around the world. The Foundation on Economic Trends and the National Family Farm Coalition have been working together for many years. We started the process nearly a year ago that resulted in this lawsuit and this has truly been an international effort. Members of our organizations have held discussions with many nations around the world to this end.

We are certainly fortunate to have this large number of law firms with proven track records. We are confident, when our issues are heard and the jury is in, we can look forward to the new millenium with hope. While the legal team fights the legal battles to bring justice, the National Family Farm Coalition and the Foundation on Economic Trends will lead efforts to educate and promote public debate around the world on the issues. This will be accomplished on parallel tracks.

While genetic engineering is new technology in the countryside, we have been working on these issues for years. On November 22, over 30 family farm and rural organizations joined together to release a Farmer's Declaration on Genetic Engineering. In Seattle during the WTO negotiations, these issues were a major focus of discussion within the Via Campesina, an international network of family farm and peasant organizations of which NFFC is a member..

As a family farmer, I can tell you that the farmers and consumers of the world have been sold a bill of goods because genetically modified organisms (GMOs) do not perform as advertised. The truth is, GMOs cost more and yield less. There are four areas of concern farmers and consumers have about GMOs. They include the health, the environment, social, and economic aspects.

Monsanto and other life science companies have rushed GMO products to market without proper testing to determine long-term effects of these new creations. And indeed, GMO products are new creations. They are not simply the result of an evolutionary process, nor of hybridization. Doctors, scientists, and others have raised red flags concerning the effects of this new technology.

The efforts of Monsanto and their co-conspirators has been to flood the world with seeds that produce products consumers do not want to eat. In addition, these GMOs are contaminating the entire food chain. We demand USDA to stop funding terminator type technologies and instead urge them to allocate these funds to land grant universities to better fulfill their mandate to provide public variety seeds at no cost to the farming community. Contrary to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's position that genetic engineering is necessary to feed the world; today we have a world that is awash in surplus grain resulting in record low farm prices.

For family farmers this lawsuit is historic. Today, Monsanto and its co-conspirators have monopoly control over our food system. Their operations threaten world food security. This litigation exposes their practices. A victory in this lawsuit will allow the family farmers of the world to retain ownership of their seeds, their farms, and produce a food supply that is safe, adequate, and reasonably priced for all consumers.

The National Family Farm Coalition is a membership based organization comprised of 32 family farm and rural advocacy organizations in 30 states founded in 1986. NFFC works on issues to ensure the survival of family farmers and to promote the increased economic viability of our nation's rural communities. NFFC has an office in Washington, D.C. Bill Christison serves as President of the NFFC and President of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center.

[Source:NATIONAL FAMILY FARM COALITION, US]