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| Some banned alfalfa already planted by Michigan farmers |
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| By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent
LANSING, Mich. — A genetically engineered strain of Roundup Ready alfalfa that was banned nationwide until officials can adequately study the crop’s potential impact already has been planted in 43 Michigan counties.
In May, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer in California called on USDA to ban any further planting of the Roundup Ready alfalfa until a detailed scientific study of its effect on the environment and other alfalfa varieties is complete. The decision upheld a previous order made on Feb. 13.
In making his ruling, Breyer said the crop could harm the environment and contaminate natural alfalfa. The ruling also required Forage Genetics to provide the locations of all existing Roundup Ready alfalfa plots to the USDA within 30 days of the May 3 ruling.
Nationwide, about 220,000 acres had been planted since it was deregulated by the USDA, and about 2,000 of those were planted in 43 Michigan counties last year, according to the Michigan Farm Bureau. The Roundup Ready alfalfa accounts for about 17 percent of all alfalfa in the United States.
Farmers who planted the alfalfa prior to March 30 are exempt from the ruling and the hay can be harvested, sold and fed to animals. All others must follow new guidelines to minimize the risk of pollen movement into nonresistant conventional and organic alfalfa stands.
Farmers can call 866-724-6408 to find if the crop has been planted near their fields.
The lawsuit was filed by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) in Washington, D.C., on behalf of farmers who argued that the genetically engineered seed could contaminate organic and conventional varieties of alfalfa.
“This ruling is good news for organic farmers and most conventional farmers across the country,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the center. “This crop represents a very real threat to their crops and their livelihood. This ruling is a turning point in the regulation of biotech crops in this country.”
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) filed a friend-of-the-court brief outlining the organization’s stance. AFBF contends “that a peaceful coexistence can be achieved” through implementation of USDA’s precautions contained in its proposed order.
“The last decade has shown that biotech and organic crops have successfully coexisted,” said Jerry Steiner, executive vice president for Monsanto Co.
“We support a farmer’s right to choose biotechnology, organic or conventional crops with the proper stewardship practices that make coexistence feasible. We have heard from farmers across the country who are disappointed they can’t access this technology.”
However, Will Rostov, a senior attorney for CFS, lauded the ruling.
“This permanent halt to the planting of this risky crop is a great victory for the environment,” he said.
“Roundup Ready alfalfa poses threats to farmers, to our export markets and to the environment. We expect the USDA to abide by the law and ensure that American farmers are protected from genetic contamination.”
This farm news was published in the Sept. 5, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
| 9/5/2007 |
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