Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), Friends of Family Farmers, Cultivate Oregon, Our Family Farms, OSU Extension Small Farms Program, Oregonians for Safe Farms and Families, and the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) will host a listening session to hear from farmers, seed growers, seed companies, plant breeders, and other food and farming stakeholders about issues they face with GMO contamination. The unwanted presence of genetically engineered (GE) traits in organic and other non-GMO varieties of seed stands out as a major challenge in some crops that have a GE counterpart in the marketplace.

Listening session hosts invite participants to answer the following questions: How important is non-GE seed to your market and success as a grower? Do you routinely test non-GMO seed for detectable levels of GE traits? Have you been financially harmed by GMO contamination? What questions do you have about GMO contamination and what resources do you need? What resources do you already have? Are there opportunities for collaborative solutions and policy change? What financial and other benefits do you imagine if the Pacific Northwest adopted equitable regulations to protect organic and non-GMO seed producers? Input gathered will directly inform future educational events and policy recommendations in 2021 and beyond.