Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life’s Environmental Policy Platform, March 2005
Agriculture
The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) support comprehensive testing of all genetically engineered products for their capacity both to disrupt ecosystems and to cause illness.
COEJL supports policies which promote sustainable agricultural practices — including soil conservation, minimized use of pesticides and fertilizers, and maintenance of the genetic diversity of food crops (JCPA Agenda for Public Affairs 2000-2001). In addition, governments should protect agricultural lands and public health through programs to safeguard groundwater, regulate chemical and animal waste runoff from farms and livestock facilities, and promote organic agricultural practices (JCPA Agenda for 1999-2000).
New Technologies: Genetic Engineering
The JCPA supports comprehensive testing of all genetically engineered products for their capacity both to disrupt ecosystems and to cause illness, as well as policies which promote sustainable agricultural practices — including soil conservation, minimized use of pesticides and fertilizers, and maintenance of the genetic diversity of food crops.
The debate over the safety of genetically engineered crops is escalating rapidly. Already over 50% of some major crops — such as cotton, soybeans, and corn — grown in the U.S. are from genetically engineered seeds. Biotechnology advocates claim that genetic engineering can improve substantially the quality and increase the quantity of food grown around the world. It is widely acknowledged that the FDA and USDA do not require comprehensive testing of these new technologies for either their potential health effects or for their potential to cause disruption in ecosystems. There are also concerns among some religious groups that genes from prohibited animal species might be inserted into vegetable crops without consumers' knowledge. Currently, there are no labeling requirements for genetically engineered foods. There was such vigorous protest in Europe and Asia to the development of "terminator technology" -- seeds that produce sterile plants -- that Monsanto Corporation, the lead developer, has agreed to abandon all plans to market this technology. Trade of genetically engineered foods is causing strains in the relationship between Europe and the U.S.
