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For Immediate Release
Contact: Email:,info(at)fwwatch(dot)org,Seth Gladstone -,sgladstone@fwwatch.org

Food and Water Europe Welcomes U.S. Court Ruling for Compensation by GM Contaminators

Statement of Food & Water Europe Executive Director Wenonah Hauter

WASHINGTON

"We welcome the ruling from a federal court in Arkansas requiring
Bayer Crop Science to pay $1.5 million to two U.S. rice farmers as
compensation for contamination. We are pleased to see the federal court
step in to protect farmers and consumers when regulatory bodies fail.

"We hope this
proves once and for all that genetically modified crops cannot
'coexist' with conventional crops. Bayer Crop Science has already been
ordered to pay $2 million to two other farmers and three more test
cases will be heard soon, including one from a rice exporter.

"This recent
ruling is set against the backdrop of other U.S. court cases halting
the cultivation of GM alfalfa and sugar beets because the regulators
failed to adequately assess the impacts of the crops and because of
potential irreversible environmental damage. The U.S. Supreme Court
will soon hear a case about the safety of GM seed and the U.S.
Department of Justice is pursuing an anti-trust investigation of
Monsanto."

Furthermore, U.S. rice exports to the EU are continuing to be
affected by a contamination incident some three and a half years later,
showing just how damaging GM crops can be. This is just more evidence
that this technology is not economically or environmentally viable."

For more information, visit https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/world/europe

Contact:
Eve Mitchell, Food and Water Europe, The Black Isle, Scotland
emitchell@fweurope.org +44 (0)1381 610 740
Gabriella Zanzanaini, Food and Water Europe, Brussels

Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people's health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.

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