CFS to sue USDA for deregulating GM alfalfa

Ethan A. Huff
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
http://www.naturalnews.com/031357_GM_alfalfa_Center_for_Food_Safety.html

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) recent decision to fully deregulate Monsanto's genetically-modified (GM) alfalfa, despite its own findings that doing so will contaminate non-GM and organic agriculture, is a landmark decision that illustrates just how deeply embedded Monsanto has burrowed within the U.S. government. But the Center for Food Safety (CFS), a group that has won numerous cases against GM crops, is gearing up to file a lawsuit against the USDA for this decision, and hopefully reverse it like it has many other decisions. But CFS needs your help to make that happen.

The USDA first approved GM alfalfa back in 2005, but that decision was eventually reversed in 2007 after being challenged in a California court. The court ruled that until a proper Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was conducted, the crops could not be planted. Monsanto, of course, tried to challenge this decision, but CFS and others worked hard to prevent the ban from being lifted, and they succeeded for many years.

CFS also played a crucial role in reversing the decision to allow GM sugar beets to be planted. CFS sued both the USDA and Monsanto over the crop, which just like GM alfalfa was not approved with a proper EIS. CFS won the case and for the first time in history, a judge actually made a ruling ordering that a GM crop be uprooted and destroyed because it was illegally planted.

Time and time again, the USDA, Monsanto, and others have tried to sidestep the law and do what they please, but CFS and other like-minded groups have fought hard to hold them responsible for their illegal actions. And they have been victorious in many of these cases.

NaturalNews recently covered the story of Whole Foods and a few other companies that are petitioning their customers to challenge the USDA's deregulation decision. But the challenge they are pursuing involves a partial deregulation, or "coexistence" plan, that all available evidence says will be a failure.

Instead, CFS plans to sue the USDA outright for its irresponsible decision to deregulate, and ultimately the group intends to stop any and all plantings of GM alfalfa. This plan of action is one that we fully support.