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A Safe Seed Pledge
Bag of Abbe Hills Seed CornThe continuation of human life is completely dependent on seeds. It is our responsibility as farmers, gardeners, and eaters to protect the wide genetic diversity contained in seeds for use by all future generations of humans.
Some important crops, including corn and soybeans, have been genetically engineered to contain a few genes from other organisms. These genes confer resistance to common weed killers or allow the plants to make toxins that kill some insect pests. Genetically engineered crops have been widely accepted by conventional agriculture and most of the neighbors of Abbe Hills Farm.
The wide acceptance of genetically engineered crops has resulted in increased use of several pesticides, and increased selection pressure on pests which has resulted in the generation of “super weeds” and insects. It has not generally resulted in the superior yields claimed by the patent holders, even though the seed prices are significantly higher than those of traditionally bred crops. Abbe Hills Farm believes that widespread production of genetically engineered crops poses severe and irreversible threats to biodiversity and to the integrity of our seed resources, and that environmental and health risks have been insufficiently examined prior to release of genetically engineered crops. Lack of regulation of genetically engineered crops unfairly limits farmer and consumer choices, particularly those of present and future organic farmers and consumers. And, most of the profits from the use of this technology go into the bank accounts of a handful of multinational biotech companies, rather than into stressed rural communities.
For these reasons, and because we wish to support agricultural processes that lead to healthier soils and people, and genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems, Abbe Hills Farm does not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.