Source: The Center for Food Safety
In 2006, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) sued the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its illegal approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE / GMO) Roundup Ready alfalfa. The federal courts sided with CFS and banned GE alfalfa until the USDA fully analyzed the impacts of the plant on the environment, farmers, and the public in a rigorous analysis known as an environmental impact statement (or EIS). USDA released its draft EIS on December 14, 2009. A 60-day comment period is now open until February 16, 2010. This is the first time the USDA has done this type of analysis for any GE crop. Therefore, the final decision will have broad implications for all GE crops.
CFS has begun analyzing the EIS and it is clear that the USDA has not taken the concerns of non-GE alfalfa farmers, organic dairies, or consumers seriously. USDA’s preliminary determination is to once again deregulate GE alfalfa without any limitations or protections for farmers or the environment. Instead USDA has completely dismissed the fact that contamination will threaten export and domestic markets and organic meat and dairy products. And, incredibly, USDA is claiming that there is no evidence that consumers care about such GE contamination of organic!
USDA also claims that consumers will not reject GE contamination of organic alfalfa if the contamination is unintentional or if the transgenic material is not transmitted to the end milk or meat product, despite the fact that more than 75% of consumers believe that they are purchasing products without GE ingredients when they buy organic.
USDA claims that Monsanto’s seed contracts require measures sufficient to prevent genetic contamination, and that there is no evidence to the contrary. But in the lawsuit requiring this document, the Court found that contamination had already occurred in the fields of several Western states with these same business-as-usual practices in place!
USDA predicts that the approval of GE alfalfa would damage family farms and organic markets, yet doesn’t even consider any limitations or protections against this scenario. Small, family farmers are the backbone and future of American agriculture and must be protected. Organic agriculture provides many benefits to society: healthy foods for consumers, economic opportunities for family farmers and urban and rural communities, and a farming system that improves the quality of the environment. However, the continued vitality of this sector is imperiled by the complete absence of measures to protect organic production systems from GE contamination and subsequent environmental, consumer, and economic losses.
Tell USDA That You DO Care About GE Contamination of Organic Crops and Food: Click Here!
For shame! One issue with GE crops that they stay pretty hush about is that the pollen doesn’t respect fences. As anyone who has grown sweet corn when any neighbor within blocks grows Indian corn at the same time can tell you, everybody winds up with Indian corn.
We have enough at risk with having such a narrow range of varieties making up almost all the common grains as it is; having that few be GE as well is both dangerous and foolhardy.
Whatever happened to good old fashioned breeding?
The government’s out of their mind—in bed with Monsanto! They’re destroying their OWN health allowing GMO’s of ANY kind! Fine with me if they don’t respect THEIR bodies! BUT, to take away the choice of others is a whole other issue!
Here’s a sample letter for Canadians to send, via the link in the article:
Most of the organic food we eat in Canada is imported from the U.S.. I am deeply concerned that the U.S. may allow plantings of GE alfalfa which I know will result in the contamination of organic alfalfa in the U.S. and Canada. I do not want to eat GE foods which is one reason why I choose to buy certified organic food.
The national organic standards in both the U.S. and Canada prohibit the use of genetically engineered organisms. This is a central tenet of organics.
The USDA claims that consumers will not reject GE contamination in organic alfalfa if the contamination is unintentional or if the transgenic material is not transmitted to the end milk or meat product. This is not the case. I am a Canadian consumer of U.S. organic foods and food ingredients and I care deeply about the integrity of certified organic foods. GE is fundamentally not organic.
The GE contamination of organic alfalfa would severely impact the entire organic system in the U.S. and Canada, especially because many different types of organic farmers plant alfalfa to improve soil fertility. This important technique makes it possible to farm successfully without using chemical fertilizers. Contamination by GE alfalfa would eliminate this valuable tool, causing severe economic and agronomic costs to organic farmers.
Farmers have a fundamental right to sow the seeds of their choice but this choice can be eliminated by GE contamination. This happened in Canada when prairie organic grain farmers had to stop growing canola because there was no way to prevent contamination by cross-pollination with GE canola during the growing season.
Organic farming provides healthy food grown without pesticides or GE organisms, and builds better soil. The future of organic farming is threatened by GE alfalfa
The USDA should reject the deregulation of GE alfalfa to protect organic farming and food in the U.S. and Canada, and protect the U.S. organic food trade to Canada.