More about the GMO alfalfa lawsuit that Sierra Club has signed on to.
Tom
Quote:
"The way this spreads so far and wide, it will eliminate the conventional
alfalfa industry," said Trask. "Monsanto will own the entire alfalfa industry."
Subj: GMW: Farmers, others sue USDA over Monsanto GMO alfalfa
Date: 2/16/2006 2:51:21 PM Central Standard Time
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Farmers, others sue USDA over Monsanto GMO alfalfa
By Carey Gillam
REUTERS, 16 February, 2006
http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&
storyID=uri:2006-02-16T192202Z_01_N16168665_RTRUKOC_0_US-FOOD-MONSANTO-GMO.xml&pageNumber=1
&summit=
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - A coalition of farmers, consumers and
environmental activists on Thursday sued the U.S. government over its approval of a
biotech alfalfa that critics say will spell havoc for farmers and the
environment."
Opening another front in the battle over genetically modified crops, the
lawsuit contends that the U.S. Department of Agriculture improperly is allowing
Monsanto Co. to sell an herbicide-resistant alfalfa seed while failing to
analyze the public health, environmental, and economic consequences of that action.
"The USDA failed to do a full environmental review when they deregulated this
genetically engineered alfalfa," said Will Rastov, an attorney for Center for
Food Safety, one of the plaintiffs. "They're going to wreak untold dangers
into the environment."
The lawsuit asks the federal court in San Francisco to rescind the USDA's
decision until a full environmental review has been completed.
The suit asserts that the genetically modified alfalfa will probably
contaminate conventionally grown alfalfa at a fast pace, ultimately forcing farmers to
pay for Monsanto's patented gene technology whether they want the technology
or not.
The group says biotech alfalfa would also hurt production of organic dairy
and beef products as alfalfa is a key cattle feed. And the suit claims farmers
could lose export business, valued at an estimated $480 million per year,
because buyers in Japan and South Korea, major importers of U.S. alfalfa, have
indicated they would avoid buying U.S. alfalfa once the genetically engineered
variety is released.
Plaintiffs also said Monsanto is marketing the herbicide-tolerant crop in a
way that encourages far greater applications of chemicals than alfalfa
typically requires.
Alfalfa is the fourth most widely grown crop in the United States, behind
corn, soybeans, and wheat.
South Dakota alfalfa farmer Pat Trask, one of the plaintiffs, said Monsanto's
biotech alfalfa would ruin his conventional alfalfa seed business because it
was certain his 9,000 acres would be contaminated by the biotech genes.
Alfalfa is very easily cross-pollinated by bees and by wind. The plant is
also perennial, meaning GMO plants could live on for years.
"The way this spreads so far and wide, it will eliminate the conventional
alfalfa industry," said Trask. "Monsanto will own the entire alfalfa industry."
Monsanto has a policy of filing lawsuits or taking other legal actions
against farmers who harvest crops that show the presence of the company's patented
gene technology. It has sued farmers even when they have tried to keep their
own fields free from contamination by biotech plants on neighboring farms.
"It's the desire of Monsanto to pursue global control and total control over
the American alfalfa seed industry," said Trask.
Monsanto spokeswoman Mica DeLong said the company had no comment on the issue
and referred inquires to USDA. Monsanto received regulatory clearance to
begin selling the biotech alfalfa last summer.
The suit names Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, Animal Plant Health
Inspection Service Administrator Ron Dehaven and Environmental Protection Agency
administrator Steve Johnson as defendants.
APHIS spokeswoman Karen Eggert said the agency had no immediate comment. EPA
also declined to comment and a spokeswoman for USDA could not be reached
immediately.
In addition to the Center for Food Safety and the Trask family, the
plaintiffs include the National Family Farm Coalition, Sierra Club, Dakota Resources
Council, and other farm, environmental and consumer groups.
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