GM Alfalfa will Harm Organic Farming and Gardening - Action Alert Update

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Cathe' <sunshine.worksThu, Feb 11, 2010 at 11:01 AM[sierraPermaculture] GM Alfalfa will Harm Organic Farming and Gardening - Action Alert Update

SierraPermaculture

 

 

 

 

 

Organic Farming and Gardening Action Alert Update

 

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Action Alert                                 by Feb 16, 2010

 

Genetically Modified

Alfalfa Threatens Organic Agriculture

 

ACTION: Send Your Comments to USDA  on Monsanto's new

genetically engineered Round-up Ready Alfalfa.Late last year, the USDA released a

court-ordered Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Monsanto's new

genetically engineered Round-up Ready Alfalfa. A federal lawsuit, led by the

Center for Food Safety was won in 2007 compelling the USDA to conduct their first-ever

environmental impact statement on a genetically engineered GE) crop, alfalfa.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the USDA's assessment approves of releasing a

new genetically modified crop into the environment, despite the known

risks this version of alfalfa poses to organic livestock agriculture.

Public comments are being accepted until February 16. Please let the

USDA hear your voice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO THE USDA BY FEBRUARY 16, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

..You can file comments online, and you can write a letter. (Read the last article at the end of this newsletter for comment ideas around the issues of organic gardening, farming,and bees.)

1. Online here

2. Written and mailed  (please send two copies)  to:

Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044,

Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD

APHIS, Station 3A-03.8

4700 River Road Unit 118

Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.>>>Please state at the top of your written or electronic comments that they refer to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044<<<

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first time the USDA has done this type of analysis for any

GE crop.  Therefore, the final decision will have broad implications

for all GE crops.Please be a part of this historic moment. Your response is considered to represent 10,000 people.

Forward this email to everyone you know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BackgroundIn 2006, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) sued the Department of

Agriculture (USDA) for its illegal approval of Monsanto's genetically

engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa. The federal courts sided with

CFS and banned GE alfalfa until the USDA fully analyzed the impacts of

the GE alfalfat on the environment, farmers, and the public in a rigorous

analysis known as an environmental impact statement (or EIS). USDA released its draft EIS on December 14, 2009.  A 60-day comment period is now open until February 16, 2010. 

USDA is claiming that there is no evidence that consumers care about  GE contamination of organic!If you would like more information, you can review the draft EIS  here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why We are Against GM Alfalfa:

Will it Be the Death of Organic Farming and Gardening?

Alfalfa is the

fourth most widely grown crop in the U.S. It is a fundamental

source of livestock forage. Here are some key observations, based on reviewing

the 1400 page Environmental Impact Study (EIS).

 

This

would be the first perennial crop to be approved for genetic

modification and release. Alfalfa is open-pollinated by bees. With bees

traveling 4-6 miles, they can potentially spread the patented, foreign

DNA to distant conventional and organic crops. 

The

potential for biological contamination from a neighbor's field, even miles

away, threatens the livelihood of organic farmers, dairies and other

livestock producers. As

a perennial, it is very likely that genetically engineered volunteers will

escape from farm fields and/or be scattered along roadsides from harvest

and transport equipment.  Escaped

or feral plants will live on for years producing GE pollen to contaminate

non-GE alfalfa. The

USDA's EIS maintains that avoiding GE contamination would be your

responsibility as an organic producer. They say that all you have

to do is change your planting and harvest schedules to

" avoid simultaneous flowering " with RR alfalfa in your

neighbor's field, and " disallow or remove commercial beekeepers'

hives anywhere near your alfalfa field. " Is this feasible? Tell the

USDA that they need to protect all farmers and the livelihoods of those

who choose not to grow RR alfalfa. 90% of all the alfalfa seed sold in the US

comes from 5-6 compact geographic areas ideal for growing the seed in the

Pacific Northwest and Canada.

Yet the USDA's EIS fails to recommend significant isolation zones where

the planting of GE alfalfa would be illegal, and help to protect the vital

nature of uncontaminated alfalfa seedstock. The $25 billion organic industry is at risk. We support organics because wewant healthy foods, sustainability

and economic opportunity for family farmers. Contamination of the organic dairy and beef sector by genetically modified

crops cannot be allowed? Genetic engineering is prohibited in organics and organic

consumers, as well as organic farmers, don't want it.

The

USDA's EIS concludes that RR alfalfa will cause production to shift to

larger farms, but they say this is " not significant. " Let them

know that this is significant to you as you support small local farmers.

The

EIS predicts that export markets for alfalfa will be lost, but again does

not consider this impact " significant " nor offer any possible

means to prevent it. Most of the world rejects GE-contaminated seed and they will reject GE Alfalfa, causing significant

harm to the export industry. How does this help American farmers?

During

our discussions with many seed and plant experts, not associated with

Monsanto, they all said in a few short years, all alfalfa seed will

contain considerable GE contamination. This is what has happened with

canola seed, as an example.  Should

the USDA proceed with introducing alfalfa, as suggested in the EIS, there

will soon be no organic seed available from the US.

Then the patent holders can, if they wish, push all non-GE seed growers

out of business the same way they have hurt soybean seed savers; Monsanto

will end up having a monopoly on all alfalfa seed grown in the US. 

Organic

producers will have two choices: switch to other legumes or buy organic

seed from foreign sources. Tell the USDA you want your chosen form of

agriculture protected, not taken from you by the development of RR

alfalfa.

The USDA's stated

basic mission is " protecting American agriculture. " They say they

support the " coexistence " of all types of agriculture. Let them know

that they must include a future that protects organic and alfalfa farmers and

conventional exporters from contamination by RR alfalfa.

Help ensure

Non-GMO choices by telling APHIS not to deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa.

 

Please comment by Feb 16, '10, by going to

 

http://tinyurl.com/NoGMOalfalfa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 THANK YOU!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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