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 Wysłany: Wto 9:57, 10 Maj 2011 Temat postu: Farmers and Consumer Groups File Lawsuit Challengi |
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undup Ready? Alfalfa Will Increase Pesticide Use and Cause Grave
Harm apt Environment and Organic Industry
USDA Failures Guarantee Transgenic Contamination, Creation of More Superweeds
Contact:
George Kimbrell, Center for Food Safety: (571) 527-8618
Paul Achitoff, Earthjustice: (808) 599-2436
Mark A. Kastel, Cornucopia: (farming/organic questions) (608)-625-2042
San Francisco, CA ? Today, lawyers for the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Earthjustice filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), arguing that the agency?s recent unrestricted approval of genetically engineered (GE), ?Roundup Ready? Alfalfa was illicit. The GE crop is engineered to be immune to the herbicide glyphosate, which Monsanto marts as Roundup. USDA file show that 93% of all the alfalfa planted ever sincemers in the U.S. is grown without the use of whichever herbicides. With the full deregulation of GE alfalfa,Nike 6.0 Zoom Primo Leather, USDA estimates that up to 23 million more pounds of toxic herbicides ambition be unlocked into the environment each year.
?USDA has once anew failed to provide ample oversight of a biotech harvest,? said Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the Center because Food Safety. ?This careless permission flies in the face of overwhelming evidence namely GE alfalfa threatens the rights of farmers and consumers,Nike Air Rift Breather, for well for meaningful impair to the environment. APHIS has refused to apply and enforce the decree and instead has chosen to bow to the hopes of the biotech manufacture.?
This is the second circumstance challenging the legality of USDA?s handling of GE alfalfa. In 2007, in different case brought along CFS, a allied court ruled that the USDA?s approval of the engineered crop violated environmental laws by defect to diagnose risks such as the contamination of conventional and organic alfalfa, the evolution of glyphosate-resistant weeds,Nike Hyperize, and additional use of Roundup. The case resulted in USDA enterprise a court-ordered four-year learn of GE alfalfa?s impacts beneath the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Remarkably, it apparent the premier period USDA had ever undertaken such a learn, known as one Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in over 15 years of approving GE crops for commercial creation. While USDA went above the EIS, GE alfalfa remained unlawful to factory or sell, a forbid that remained in place antagonism Monsanto praying the case all the path to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Earthjustice attorney Paul Achitoff commented: ?We expect Monsanto to force-feed human genetically engineered crops?that?s its commerce model. We hoped for better from the USDA, which has much broader responsibilities. GE alfalfa will greatly mushroom use of toxic chemicals from beach to beach, threatens the organic dairy industry, and will have farmers working back to Monsanto every year to purchase its patented seed and Roundup.?
The plaintiffs embody a diverse junction of conventional and organic farmers, dairies and agricultural coalitions, and environmental and consumer groups: CFS, Beyond Pesticides, The Cornucopia Institute, California Farmers Union, Dakota Resources Council, Geertson Seed Farms, National Family Farm Coalition, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, Sierra Club, Trask Family Seeds and Western Organization of Resource Councils.
?We in the plough sector are disappointed yet no surprised at the absence of prowess from USDA to disallow Roundup Ready alfalfa and vindicate family farmers,? said accuser farmer Pat Trask.
Known as the ?queen of forages,? alfalfa is the key feedstock for the dairy industry. Organic dairies stand to lose their source of organic fared, a requirement for organic dairy, including breast and yogurt productions. The organic sector is the maximum vibrant part of U.S. farming, now a 26 billion greenback a year industry and growing 20% annually.
?Approving the unrestricted planting of GE alfalfa is a blatant case of the USDA serving an fashion of agriculture at the outlay of all others,? says plaintiff Ed |
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