Statement of

The Honorable Dennis J. Kucinich

U.S. House of Representatives

Before the

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

United States Senate

October 7, 1999

Chairman Lugar, Ranking Member Harkin and Committee Members, thank you for allowing me to testify before you today on this critical issue. According to the U.S. News and World Report, "It is now virtually impossible for Americans to avoid eating [GEFs]," because Americans do not know which foods are GEF and which are not. The rapid emergence of genetically engineered food into our nation's food supply requires us to be confident that every health, safety and environmental concern has been fully examined. I am not confident that all negative impacts from introducing these new foods into our food supply has been detected and avoided. So, I am here today to help ensure the safety of our food supply.

To address these concerns, I am preparing to introduce a bill in the House of Representatives. I am concerned that the scientific knowledge to date is not extensive enough to remove all doubts about the health, safety and environmental impacts of genetically engineered food. Therefore, I strongly believe that the American citizen must have the right to choose what foods they and their family eat. Absent a genetically engineered label, they will not have this choice. My legislation will require the FDA, and USDA when appropriate, to label all foods that are genetically engineered, or made from ingredients that were genetically engineered.

Past Mistakes

Throughout our history we have made many mistakes and I hope that we have learned from those mistakes. Certainly, we have learned to be cautious when taking large steps into the unknown. While much good has come from technological improvement, I offer two examples of the failure to take a cautious approach. Nuclear power, once advertised as too cheap to meter, has proven to be expensive and dangerous. DDT, a favorite insecticide to rid mosquitoes, nearly depleted our nation's symbol, the Bald Eagle. The comparison is best made with the following quotation from John Fagin, a molecular biologist.

We are living today in a very delicate time, one that is reminiscent of the birth of the nuclear era, when mankind stood at the threshold of a new technology. No one knew that nuclear power would bring us to the brink of annihilation or fill our planet with highly toxic radioactive waste. We were so excited by the power of the new technology that we leapt ahead blindly, and without caution. Today the situation with genetic engineering is perhaps even more grave because this technology acts on the very blueprint of life itself.

What are the Risks?

I am not here to suggest that genetically engineered food has proven to be dangerous or deadly. Rather today's limited scientific knowledge does not justify the absolute claim that no negative health, safety and environmental impacts exist. The wide presence of genetically engineering in today's foods confronts consumers with potential health risks that include increased toxicity, increased exposure to allergens, decreased nutritional value, and increased antibiotic resistance. Unintended environmental risks include destruction of neutral species, cross pollination that breeds new weeds with herbicidal resistance and greater water pollution resulting from the increased use of stronger pesticides.

The recently reported case of the Monarch butterfly is evidence that we must continue to study this issue and take a cautious approach. Earlier this year, researchers at Cornell University reported that, in lab studies, Monarch butterflies were either killed or developed abnormally when eating milkweed dusted with the pollen of Bt-corn, a genetically engineered food. The study is preliminary, but it raises significant questions. The unintended impact of the butterfly indicates that genetically engineered foods are not risk free and current licensing procedures have failed to uncover these risks. In response, the recently passed Agricultural Appropriations Conference Report included $200,000 for continued research on the impacts on the Monarch Butterfly.

Support for a Mandatory Labeling Bill

In a January 1999 Time magazine poll, 81% of respondents wanted genetically engineered food labeled. I have received support for my bill to require this label from several farm organizations, consumer organizations, food safety organizations and environmental organizations. I am working with elements of the business community to get their suggestions and support for the bill. Many of the organizations testifying today have been approached. I believe that my bill is good for business as it will protect farmers, allow for a flexible approach to deal with the many issues you will hear about today, and not increase costs. In fact, many other countries have mandated labels including the European Union, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.