Thursday, February 11, 2010
Boooooo
Boooo! Hisss! Rhymes-with-Fonsanto-and-starts-with-an-M is appealing the USDA decision that regulates the sale of Round-Up Ready Alfalfa seed. The USDA decided to regulate the sale in 2007, because they believed that the above company hadn't addressed how the planting of this genetically engineered (GE) seed would affect non-GE alfalfa growers.
Well, the USDA has a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) now, and apparently the EIS says that growing this GE alfalfa wouldn't really hurt non-GE alfalfa growers.
Ha! Haha! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!
The organic farmer from whom I buy my milk has asked me to spread the word about this. He grows his own organic alfalfa, and feels very strongly that the sale of this seed would be a disaster. Bees would travel from one field to another, cross pollinating his crops. Then the Fonsanto guys in black suits would descent upon his farm, test his plants, and sue him for using their patented crops. Not to mention his dairy cows would now be eating the contaminated alfalfa, potentially losing their organic certification.
The USDA is asking for public comment about this. The public comment period ends FEBRUARY 16, 2010. That's next Tuesday!
Anyone who wishes to make comments should do one (or both!) of the following:
1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: Click on this link to submit or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
2) Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: please send two copies of your comment 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 that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044.
Here's a link to the USDA news release about all this.
You can also google 'round-up ready alfalfa' and find lots of information. Best to put on your propoganda-proof goggles beforehand, however. It's likely that the result of this ruling would also affect any USDA's decision on round-up ready sugar beets in the future.
So, if you give a rat's bum about genetically modified food, and how this would affect small farmers and organic farmers, speak up! Right now!
No, I really mean it -- right now!
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5 comments:
Apparently the government comment link I made above doesn't always work. Here's the web address:
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480a6b7a1
Okay, that's weird. The link works for me in Firefox, but not in Explorer. Go figure.
I got it with Firefox and left my comment against deregulation. The discouraging part is that our President has appointed Monsanto affiliated folks to the USDA. I truly hope there's hope.
Great post, thanks for the link & giving us the news!
Just sent my vehement objection via the comment link. Thanks for the alert, Jo.
On a brighter note, we've got some hope in the NAIS battle: see ALBC e-newsletter at http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/369883/1977c8cd93/1798502199/81efeec603/
Our input is important for all these issues.
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