Court rules GE alfalfa can result in irreversible harm to crops
http://usfoodpolicy.blogspot.com/2009/06/court-rules-ge-alfalfa-can-result-in.html
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the planting of GE alfalfa
can cause potentially irreversible harm to organic and conventional crops.
Monsanto’s petition to rehear was denied in full.
From the Center for Food Safety:
“This ruling affirms a major victory for consumers, ranchers,
organicfarmers, and most conventional farmers across the country,” said
Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety.
“Roundup Ready Alfalfa represents a very real threat to farmers’
livelihoods and the environment; the court rightly dismissed Monsanto’s
claims that their bottom line should come before the rights of the public
and America’s farmers. This ruling is a turning point in the regulation
of biotech crops in this country.”
Today’s decision again upholds District Court Judge Charles
Breyer’s earlier ruling of May 2007, in which he found that the USDA
failed to address concerns that Roundup Ready alfalfa will contaminate
conventional and organic alfalfa. The Ninth Circuit decision affirms that
USDA violated national environmental laws by approving GE alfalfa without a
full Environmental Impact Statement.
You can read the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals publication here (.pdf).
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2009/06/24/07-16458.pdf