Farmers, Others Sue USDA over Monsanto GMO Alfalfa

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Farmers, Others Sue USDA over Monsanto GMO Alfalfa

 

February 17, 2006 — By Carey Gillam, Reuters

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A coalition of farmers, consumers and environmental

activists 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.

 

Source: Reuters

 

 

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