Organic Valley Joins Fight Against Roundup Ready Alfalfa
Posted by Susan Ponsolle on 04-20-07
Organic Valley, a Wisconsin-based farmer-owned dairy cooperative, has joined the Center for Food Safety in seeking a permanent halt to sales of Roundup Ready alfalfa seed.
A federal judge last month voided USDA's 2005 approval of RR alfalfa and ordered an immediate halt to sales of the transgenic seed. He scheduled a hearing April 27 on the plaintiffs' request for a permanent injunction (see FCN April 2, Page 5).
Organic Valley said RR alfalfa drift threatens the integrity of certified-organic alfalfa crops and thus the integrity of milk from organically-raised dairy cows. “Consumers respect and trust what the USDA organic seal represents, which includes no GMOs,” Organic Valley CEO George Siemon said in an April 17 statement, adding:
“If the seal no longer represents a GMO-free product, the integrity of the seal will be greatly compromised and consumers may no longer choose organic products. The organic dairy industry is now at approximately $1.4 billion in sales. GM alfalfa drift would severely impact the market for our farmers' products. The USDA cannot ensure GMO alfalfa can be grown without cross-contaminating other crops, so it should not be allowed and it is not needed. Farmers have been growing alfalfa successfully for a hundred years.”
Monsanto, which developed RR alfalfa along with Forage Genetics, argues that the “extensive regulatory dossier for Roundup Ready alfalfa, combined with farmer stewardship agreements, provides a robust and responsible approach to the environmental questions raised by the plaintiffs in this case.”
Source: FoodChemicalNews - April 19, 2007
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