Anti-Technology Activists
Plan New Attacks On Biotech

WASHINGTON —(AP)— Opponents of genetic engineering have come up with a new tactic to stop the spread of altered crops: antitrust lawsuits against the companies responsible for the technology.

The lawsuits, to be filed in 30 countries later this year, will accuse the companies of using the technology to gain control of world agriculture, said antibiotech activist Jeremy Rifkin, director of the Foundation on Economic Trends.

Major grain traders and processors also will be named in the lawsuits.

Until now, biotech opponents have focused their efforts on persuading food manufacturers not to buy genetically modified crops and getting governments to require the labeling of altered foods.

The antitrust actions will force governments to consider curbing the power of a shrinking number of giant agribusiness companies, Rifkin predicted Monday.

Eight major antitrust law firms have agreed so far to handle the lawsuits, he said. In addition to Rifkin, the plaintiffs will include individual farmers and the National Family Farm Coalition.

Biotech companies are genetically manipulating plants to make fruits and vegetables more attractive, speed the growth of crops or make them resistant to insects, disease and weedkillers.

The companies control the spread of the technology by patenting the seeds and then leasing them to growers, rather than selling them, to prevent the farmers from reproducing the seeds.

While the crops have grown quickly in popularity with American farmers, the technology has had trouble gaining acceptance with consumers in Asia and Europe.

Defenders of the technology say it can increase yields while reducing the need for pesticides and eventually will lead to nutritionally enhanced crops.

``Biotechnology is being adopted at an unprecedented rate by American farmers because it's giving them more choices than ever before in how they grow their crops. It's producing benefits for them in terms of higher yields and less use of pesticides,'' said Carl Feldbaum, president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

But critics claim the technology raises a number of environmental concerns in addition to giving giant agribusiness companies, such as St. Louis-based Monsanto Co. and Novartis AG of Switzerland, new power over farmers.

``In less than five, six years from now virtually no farmer in the world will own any seed again,'' Rifkin said.

A third of the nation's corn crop and about 55 percent of the soybeans U.S. farmers are growing this year have been genetically engineered. The soybean seeds are sold by Monsanto for use with its popular Roundup weedkiller.

Rifkin said the lawsuits would be filed before the next round of negotiations by the World Trade Organization starts in November. Biotechnology is expected to be a major issue of the global trade talks.