LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE HARMS SMALL DAIRY FARMER

To the Editor:

The moratorium on use of the Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) is over and the dairy industry may now buy it from Monsanto. Damn!

The effects of BGH on human health should be a consideration but not the only one. What about its effect on animal health, the added expense for small-dairy farmers, the cost of milk? What about Monsanto's profits balanced with their social and environmental accountability?

Bovine somatatrophin (BST) is a naturally occurring growth hormone. BGH is made by a gene-splicing technique to synthesize BST. Then, it's regularly injected in larger than normal quantities into dairy cows to promote increased milk production.

We're swimming in surplus holding milk now, and the demand for milk is down. Right now dairy farmers are getting roughly 90 cents a gallon. When a BGH-induced glut of milk occurs, possibly the government subsidy will be taken away or lowered. The only ones able to stay in the business will be the corporate farmers with thousands of cows, not our dairying neighbors trying to sustain a living.

Human Health studies are, at best, inconclusive. As far as animal health studies, only a handful of people have cared about their potential suffering and early death.

I've noticed that how people treat animals is how they treat other people. Monsanto gave BGH "free" to African farmers years ago, they would say to test its effectiveness. I personally question if it was a way to test for human health problems without our government's restrictions. Who knows?

Those who care what happens to animals have found increased mastitis (a painful infection of the teat or udder), reproductive problems, bone problems, increased intolerance to heat, and weakened immune systems. What an ungrateful way to treat the trusting, beautiful cows who work so hard for us. Have we no shame?

I think Monsanto's record of accountability is clear. They want profit monopolies without lawsuits. Monsanto promises to monitor any extended health problems to humans from BGH. Somehow that does not comfort me.

An alternative may be to do what some Vermont dairy farmers have done. Concerned about milk quality and their farming integrity, they formed a producer/processor group. Some member requirements include: stringent standards on bacterial and somatic cell counts; taste test; animal well being, including forbidding the use of BGH; sustainable farming practices; and family ownership.

Each of us can do something about this, even if we do just one thing.

Contact congressional representatives asking them to provide legislation requiring packing labeling about BGH. Let your views be known to the FDA who approved BGH use.

Some might consider buying less milk products or doing without them entirely. Many people do.

Tell our grocery store managers we want to buy BGH-free milk should any processors voluntarily label their product as such. Support local dairy farmers who don't use BGH.

BRENDA DOUGLAS

Advance, Missouri