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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Martin Donohoe, MD, FACP, Member, Board of Directors, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility; Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Community Health, Portland State University, 3718 Rivers Edge Drive, Lake Oswego, OR 97034, 503-819-6979, martin.donohoe@verizon.net

By definition, pharma crops (also known as “biopharm” crops) produce compounds that are not intended for food use. Many of these may be bioactive at very low concentrations, posing a potential threat to consumers who might ingest them accidentally through contaminated food products. Responding to this potential hazard in 2005, Oregon nearly became the first state to place a moratorium on any outdoor growing of biopharm crops and the use of any food crops, indoor or outdoor, as biopharm crops. The Oregon chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility was instrumental in raising this issue before the state legislature, provoking a statewide policy discussion that is ongoing although the initial legislative effort narrowly failed. This presentation will explore the potential human health threats posed by biopharm crops, possible reasons for the failure of the moratorium bill, and the role of health organizations and the public health community in informing policy debates at the local, state, and national level.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

• Identify potential public health threats posed by pharmaceutical and industrial compounds being engineered into food crops.
• Discuss the role of public health professionals in public debates over pharma crops at various policy levels.

Keywords: Food Safety, Environmental Health Hazards

Related Web page: www.oregonpsr.org/programs/campaignSafeFood.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation