Here Comes GMO Everything

Yesterday Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that he would approve unrestricted commercial cultivation of GMO alfalfa. Vilsack pulled back from a "compromise" he had previously proposed, and he's now opened the door to widespread, unchecked GMO alfalfa and potentially other crops across the United States. This is an enormous victory for Monsanto, Forage Genetics, and non-organic Agribusiness. It is a huge loss for organic farmers, consumers, and possibly the US export of alfalfa, dairy products and meat.

The decision is explained in the New York Times:

In making the decision, Mr. Vilsack pulled back from a novel proposal that would have restricted the growing of genetically engineered alfalfa to protect organic farmers from so-called biotech contamination. That proposal drew criticism at a recent Congressional hearing and in public forums where Mr. Vilsack outlined the option.

Mr. Vilsack said Thursday that his department would take other measures, like conducting research and promoting dialogue, to make sure that pure, nonengineered alfalfa seed would remain available....

Mr. Vilsack in recent months has been calling for coexistence among growers of genetically engineered crops, organic farmers and nonorganic farmers growing crops that have not been genetically altered.

Organic farmers can lose sales if genetic engineering is detected in their crops, which occurs through cross-pollination from a nearby field or through intermingling of seeds. And exports of nonorganic but nonengineered crops to certain countries can be jeopardized if genetically engineered material is detected in significant amounts....

In deciding whether to approve the genetically engineered alfalfa, the Agriculture Department was considering restricting areas where the crop could be planted. That, Mr. Vilsack argued, would help prevent litigation, like the lawsuits that have already delayed the approval of genetically altered alfalfa and sugar beets.

“The rapid adoption of G.E. crops has clashed with the rapid expansion of demand for organic and other non-G.E. products,” Mr. Vilsack wrote in a letter issued by his department in December. “This clash led to litigation and uncertainty. Such litigation will potentially lead to the courts’ deciding who gets to farm their way and who will be prevented from doing so.”

Put simply, Vilsck has decided to let Agribusiness plant GMO alfalfa everywhere. The article notes that 1% of alfalfa is "organic"; the article doesn't note that at the moment virutally 100% of alfalfa is non-GMO.

“We want to expand and preserve choice for farmers,” he told reporters. “We think the decision reached today is a reflection of our commitment to choice and trust.”

Choice? Trust? You gotta be kidding. The Times reports, "Mr. Vilsack said Thursday that his department would take other measures, like conducting research and promoting dialogue, to make sure that pure, nonengineered alfalfa seed would remain available." So we're gonna have research after the GMO crop is planted everywhere. Personally, I don't find that comforting. And I wonder aloud, how can you trust somebody when that's their logic.

Let the lawsuits begin.