Special Report
Protecting against contamination
One of the concerns faced by organic producers is cross-contamination from non-organic sources. Jim Riddle is Organic Agriculture Coordinator with the University of Minnesota; he says there are a number of precautions organic producers can take to protect themselves.
One challenge is pollination drift, in the case of winds, properly-placed windbreaks can help reduce that drift plus the buffers provide quality habitat for birds and other wildlife. In the case where crops are pollinated by insects, the buffers are not as effective.
Another threat comes from contaminated trucks and handling equipment, Riddle stressed the importance of making sure all storage and equipment used in handling organic products be clean.
When contamination does occur, Riddle says there are still a lot of questions regarding the liability for that contamination. For example, in the case of herbicide-resistant crops, the technology is owned by the seed company whereas in the case of bT technology it is cleared by the EPA so they would be responsible. In either case, it is very difficult to prove liability.
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