According to an article by Tracy Loew in the Statesman Journal, Oregon farmers reported to a Legislative committee that they are suffering real financial losses because of contamination from nearby genetically engineered crops.
“We lose money when we have a GMO contamination event, which I’ve had happen twice,” said Don Tipping, an organic seed grower from Williams. “We lost money directly, as have other growers.”
More than two dozen people testified at a hearing on HB 4122, which would repeal 2013 legislation prohibiting local governments from regulating crops or seeds. The 2013 legislation was quickly passed during a special session after Jackson County qualified a local GMO ban for the ballot. Jackson County was exempt, and that ban has gone into effect.