GMW: Farmers, others sue USDA over Monsanto GMO alfalfa

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GMW: Farmers, others sue USDA over Monsanto GMO alfalfa

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Thu, 16 Feb 2006 20:50:07 GMT

 

 

 

 

 

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Farmers, others sue USDA over Monsanto GMO alfalfa

By Carey Gillam

REUTERS, 16 February, 2006

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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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