What’s In Your Rice Bowl?
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 08.25.06
Yesterday, TreeHugger asked the question: what’s on your plate? Today, we ask: what’s in your rice bowl? Unfortunately, the answer could be: more than you think. Commercial long grain rice grown in the United States has been found to include untested and unapproved genetically engineered (GE) rice. The contaminated rice contained GE Liberty Link rice 602, a product of the agro-chemical company Bayer. In an attempt to protect its citizens from the rice, which was never intended for commercial release, Japan immediately banned imports from the United States. The European Union followed suit by imposing mandatory testing and certification of US rice imports. Greenpeace has criticized the EU’s response as being inadequate, and is urging all countries to impose a full-scale ban on US rice. This issue is particularly contentious as rice is perhaps the world’s most important staple food.
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Check out Fair Trade Certified rice. Besides guaranteeing that farmers and workers received fair prices and wages, direct trade and additional premiums for community development, Fair Trade certification also requires environmental stewardship, including a strict ban on GMOs and harmful pesticides. Good for you, good for the farmer, good for the planet, can't beat that - enjoy!
Although there is good reason to be concerned about GM rice getting mixed in with regular rice, your article is inaccurate. One variety of rice alone is involved.
Japan and Europe have both used this (once again) as another excuse for their continuing agricultural protectionism. Agricultural protectionism by Japan and the EU is the leading cause Third World poverty as these two huge markets remain firmly shut against all imports.
How about third world lack of food? they can use it to feed their poor
I believe it was LibertyLink 601 (LL601) not 602, or maybe both.
The USDA will most likely try to remove regulations to keep rice sales up in the USA. Though a large percentage of our rice is grown for export so farmers are going to take a hit no matter what. And then there is the issue of GM rice strains spreading naturally.