Vol. 54—2000 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

ROUNDUP-READY
CORN: TIlE MAINE EXPERIENCE
J.M. Jemison, Jr.'
ABSTRACT
GeneticEngineering(GE)hasbeen hailedas theanswerfora cleanerenvironment,a
continuousandabundantfood supply,anda meansto respondquicklyto specific needed
changesin cropvarieties. It hasalsobeencondemnedas anunpredictablescience,the
beginningof theendof agriculturalgeneticdiversity,a potentialcreatorof superweeds,
andanecologicalmenacethatwill destroynaturalsystemson whichhumanlife depends.
Concern over genetically engineered (GE) food is growing in both Europe and in the
United States. Groups of highly vocal, militant activists are trying to capture the
attentionof theAmericanpublicwhohadapparentlyacceptedGEas a generallypositive
direction for U.S. agriculture. This highly political and strongly polarized issue bas
piquedthe interestof the news mediawithNewsweek recentlypublishingan articleon
"Frankenfoods"andwireservicescarryinginformationaboutattackson researchplots
acrossthecountry.Theinternethaschangedthespeedwithwhichinformationtravels
andpotentialaccuracyof information.Theneedforthe Universityto be able to provide
credibleinformation to thishighlycomplicatedissuecontinuesto grow.
This summer,a researchstudywasvandalizedattheUniversityof Maine. Theaction
raiseda numberof importantissues:I) howdowe avoidloss of valuableinformation
whilemaintainingpublicaccessto research;2) how extensivewill the futuredestruction
be; 3) bow to increase public input and understanding of our applied researcb programs;
and 4) bow to prepare educators to be versed on all aspects of the GE issue and in risk
communicationin orderto becrediblesourcesof information.
In thepresentation,I will discussmyviews regardingeachof thesepoints. Publicaccess
to researchis criticalto agriculturaladvancement.Wemustdetermineways to allow
publicaccesswithoutcompromisingourabilityto collectneededdata. In ourstudy,the
vandalsonlydestroyedthecrops. Theviolenceanddestructionin othereventshas
intensified; but, bow far will this go? Concern over public funds being used to further
industry,andcredibilityof information generatedis underindictment.Forexample.in
ourlocaleditorials.I was accusedof beinga "shillforMonsanto"becauseI was given a
free bag of seed com for the study. I received no additional funding from Monsanto to do
this work, yet that was the most frequently asked question of me by the media. Lastly,
we mustcompletelyunderstandall aspectsof thematerialswe areusing. Itdoesn't
matterthatwe mayhaveno fonnaltrainingin molecularbiology,GEcriticsexpectus to
knoweverythingaboutthemodifiedcropswe aregrowingincludingwhichmarkergenes
are in specific plants, distance pollen can travel, and many other details. We need to be
trainedin riskcommunicationin orderto beseenas credibleSOlU'Ces of information.
IAssociateExtensionProfessor- Universityof Maine CooperativeExtension
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