Food and Ag News Nugget

USDA Deregulates Biotech Alfafa

By Courtney Lowery Cowgill, 1-28-11

	Photo by Daryl Mitchell and used here under Creative Commons license.

The United States Department of Agriculture decided Thursday to completely deregulate the planting and use of genetically-engineered alfalfa.

A court challenge had halted planting of the crop, which for now is marketed by ag giant Monsanto as Roundup Ready alfalfa, because the agency did not do an environmental impact statement on it. The agency did an EIS last year and came up with several options, including full deregulation or deregulation with modest restrictions. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and his department selected the former, setting off cheers from the biotech community and a wave of disappointment (to put it lightly) in sustainable ag circles.

In the biotech and agribusiness community, the decision means an open door for biotechnology.

Mark McCaslin, president of a co-developer of Roundup Ready alfalfa told Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick that there was a “general sigh of relief in U.S. agriculture that this is the right decision. I am sure there were a lot of people who were nervous.”

Organic producers are the ones nervous now, though.

Christine Bushway, the CEO of the Organic Trade Association told the Wall Street Journal: “A lot of people are shell shocked. While we feel Secretary Vilsack worked on this issue, which is progress, this decision puts our organic farmers at risk.”

Vilsack had held listening sessions, taken comments and in general pledged to find a way for GMO and organics to “co-exist” but organic advocates contended that considering how easily alfalfa can cross-pollinate, co-existence is a myth. Organic standards don’t allow any trace of GMO, so even a little drift could ruin an organic producer’s markets. And, increasingly, consumers are looking for non-GMO products. In some cases, non-organic products are even touting themselves to be non-GMO. Also, some international markets are still iffy on GMO.

But, while the organic risks have been the most widely publicized, the bigger concern really has more to do with seed choice, concentration and control than organic protections. Roundup Ready seed is proprietary, meaning Monsanto owns the seed throughout its life cycle. The company has gone to great lengths to ensure control over its proprietary seed, including prosecuting farmers for saving seed, which is within its rights. But, in some cases, the company has ruthlessly gone after farmers who unknowingly, because of contamination, planted patented seed.  The company has also gone to great lengths to control the seed supply, buying up small seed companies and offering only its patented varieties. (See this story from Vanity Fair on all of this.)

Thursday’s decision then raises all kinds of questions about who will own the nation’s seed supply. As GMO seed becomes more and more dominant, there’s a risk of eradicating non-GMO options and thus, non-proprietary (company-owned) options.

Vilsack tried to address that concern with Thursday’s decision. As Phillip Brasher reported for the Des Moines Register, Vilsack promised the “USDA would be undertaking research and other measures to try to ensure that there would be adequate supplies of nonbiotech seed after the genetically engineered alfalfa is in commercial use. USDA would be undertaking research and other measures to try to ensure that there would be adequate supplies of nonbiotech seed after the genetically engineered alfalfa is in commercial use.”

Sustainable ag groups were also hoping the USDA would create some sort of protections for farmers growing non-GMO crops.

The Organic Seed Alliance said in a press release, “The decision is especially disappointing considering USDA acknowledges that GE material moves into fields and markets where it is not allowed or wanted. OSA believes the agency missed an opportunity to establish a comprehensive framework for overseeing GE crops and to protect the organic industry. Such a framework is long overdue. Today’s decision means the organic community will continue to bear the burden of contamination prevention. Furthermore, USDA provided no plan for mitigation and compensation when contamination prevention fails, a mechanism necessary for supporting continued growth in the organic sector.”

Kristina Hubbard, the group’s director of advocacy said, “Organic producers need those who own, promote, and profit from GE seed to be held responsible for contamination. We believe a federal mechanism to protect and compensate farmers harmed by the unwanted presence of GE seed technology is prudent.”

There are already lawsuits in the works over the decision. Andrew Kimbrell, the Executive Director of the Center For Food Safety, which led the original charge tells UPI: “We will be back in court representing the interest of farmers, preservation of the environment and consumer choice.”

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Courtney Lowery Cowgill is a writer and editor (formerly of these pages) who also runs Prairie Heritage Farm, a small farm near Conrad, Montana. She and her husband grow vegetables, turkeys and ancient and heritage grains. As a farmer and writer, she works on and follows food and agriculture issues closely and each week, rounds up the top news stories in this arena for New West. Have an ag story you think should be included? You can reach Courtney at courtney@newwest.net.

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