NATURAL NEWS– The Obama administration’s Department of Agriculture (USDA)
is attempting to downplay the risks of genetically modified alfalfa, a crop
previously banned by numerous federal courts.
In 2007, a
federal court rejected the Bush USDA’s approval of alfalfa plants genetically
engineered for resistance to the Monsanto herbicide Roundup. The court ruled
that the USDA had not properly considered the risks posed by the crop. These
risks included the possibility that the genetically modified (GM) crops could
swap genetic material with related species, thus contaminating neighboring
fields or producing non-agricultural “super weeds.”
Monsanto continues to appeal the decision, even though the Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals has ruled against it twice. The case is now pending consideration by
the Supreme Court.
Alfalfa is the first perennial crop to be genetically modified. Because it does
not die after a year but can regenerate itself from even its roots, the risk of
genetic contamination is higher than even that from GM annual crops, which have
already been documented to spread beyond the fields they are planted in.
Continue reading about Obama’s USDA Deceives Americans Over GM Crops.
© Natural News, 2010
Photo by flickr user Tim Psych
