Bayer Loses in Court ---Admits GMO Contamination is Out of Control

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>Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:24:25 -0800

>Bayer Loses in Court ---Admits GMO Contamination is Out of Control

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>Bayer Admits GMO Contamination is Out of Control

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> * Greenpeace International, Dec 8, 2009

> * <http://www.greenpeace.org/>Straight to the Source

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>Bayer has admitted it has been unable to control the spread of its

>genetically-engineered organisms despite 'the best practices [to

>stop contamination]'(1). It shows that all outdoors field trials or

>commercial growing of GE crops must be stopped before our crops are

>irreversibly contaminated.

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>$2 million US dollar verdict against Bayer confirms company's

>liability for an uncontrollable technology

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>Greenpeace welcomes the United States federal jury ruling on 4

>December 2009 that Bayer CropScience LP must pay $2 million US

>dollars to two Missouri farmers after their rice crop was

>contaminated with an experimental variety of rice that the company

>was testing in 2006.

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>This verdict confirms that the responsibility for the consequences

>of GE (genetic engineering) contamination rests with the company

>that releases GE crops.

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>Bayer has admitted it has been unable to control the spread of its

>genetically-engineered organisms despite 'the best practices [to

>stop contamination]'(1). It shows that all outdoors field trials or

>commercial growing of GE crops must be stopped before our crops are

>irreversibly contaminated.

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>A report prepared for Greenpeace International concluded that the

>total costs incurred throughout the world as a result of the

>contamination are estimated to range from $741 million to $1.285

>billion US dollars.(2) The verdict indicates that Bayer is liable

>for what could turn out to be a large proportion of these costs, as

>it awards damages in the first two of more than 1,000 currently

>pending lawsuits. The decision must be used to support all claims

>for losses incurred by other US farmers whose crops have suffered

>from GE contamination.

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>(1) Bayers Defense lawyer, Mark Ferguson as reported in Harris, A. 2009.

>Bayer Blamed at Trial for Crops 'Contaminated' by Modified Rice.

>Bloomberg News 4th November 2009, available at:

><http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive & sid=aT1kD1GOt0N0>http://www\

..bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive & sid=aT...

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>(2) E.N. Blue (2007) Risky Business. Economic and regulatory impacts

>from the unintended release of genetically engineered rice varieties

>into the rice merchandising system of the US. Report prepared for

>Greenpeace International, available online at

><http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/risky-busine\

ss.pdf>http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press....