Title: US Supreme Court rules in favour of GM alfalfa
[Stock & Land 22 June, 2010 By Jacqui Fatka] -- THE US Supreme Court has ruled in favour of Monsanto in its legal battle with environmental groups and organic farmers over the deregulation of Roundup-Ready alfalfa. In the lower court case, it was claimed the decision to grant deregulated status to glyphosate-tolerant (Roundup Ready) alfalfa violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In that court, it was determined that the USDA should have done an environmental impact statement before making the decision, and the court ultimately halted almost all planting and sales of Roundup Ready alfalfa pending issuance of the impact statement. But the highest court said the District Court had "erred in entering the nationwide injunction against planting RRA" because it was such a "drastic and extraordinary remedy".
David Snively, Monsanto’s senior vice president and general counsel, said the case was important for not only alfalfa farmers, but every American farmer. "All growers can rely on the expertise of the USDA and trust that future challenges to biotech approvals must now be based on scientific facts, not speculation.
Steve Welker, Monsanto's alfalfa business lead said the news came just in time for the next planting season.
He noted that the company had Roundup Ready alfalfa seed ready to deliver and awaited USDA guidance on its release.
"Our goal is to have everything in place for growers to plant in fall 2010," Welker said.
Prior to the injunction, Roundup Ready alfalfa was planted by approximately 5500 growers across 263,000 acres.
Alfalfa is the fourth-largest crop grown in the US, with 23 million acres grown annually.