SIGN the petition:
Tell Secretary Vilsack: No Genetically Modified Alfalafa!
Although it was reported as a wholesale victory for Monsanto1, the recent Supreme Court decision on “Roundup Ready” alfalfa has actually put food activists in a good position to maintain the ban on Monsanto's genetically engineered GMO seeds.
The court ruled that the planting of GMO alfalfa is still illegal, but it assigned authority to the USDA to determine whether to allow some provisional planting to go forward as soon as next spring. The responsibility for maintaining a total ban on the GMO seeds — and protecting organic crops from likely contamination — now falls squarely on the shoulders of USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The court supported farmers' claims that the USDA illegally allowed Monsanto to sell its seeds before a full environmental review could be completed, but Monsanto knows that it can use its power within the USDA to speed up the review process. The company has already requested that the USDA permit a so-called “partial deregulation” that would allow some plantings of Roundup Ready alfalfa before we know the full risks.
A landmark element of the recent Supreme Court ruling was its recognition that the USDA must take into account economic harms from genetic contamination of conventional seed by genetically engineered seed – things like the loss of export markets or loss of organic certification, as well as the risks to the environment of this “gene flow” effect. Monsanto wants the agency to ignore those risks and let them plant now.
We can't let them. Senator Patrick Leahy and Congressman Peter DeFazio delivered a letter signed by over 50 lawmakers demanding that the USDA not legalize GE alfalfa2. Over 83,000 Credo members added their voice by calling on their members of Congress to sign on to the letter.
Now we must take the next step and tell USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to maintain the planting ban on GE alfalfa, now and in the future.
I signed the petition and added this comment:
GMOs are WORSE than the gulf disaster. We can SEE the oil, unlike GMOs.
We started to grow our own food because of the TOXINS the FDA allows to be sold as food.
Of course I know that we can NOT see the evaporating oil and the extremely toxic disbursements (COREXIT), but at least you can see when oil is leaking.
This is the last year we're growing yellow corn as ALL the corn is contaminated with Monsanto's crap. The FDA conveniently allows the ORGANIC certification of products that contain up to 10% GMOs.
I heard that blue corn does not cross pollinate with yellow corn and that it's therefore safe to eat. I hope that's true.
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