Tag: grain
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USDA Announces Deregulation of Roundup Ready® Alfalfa
In a decision that prompted the promise of an immediate legal challenge, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will grant nonregulated status to genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa. According to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, “After conducting a thorough and transparent examination of alfalfa through a multi-alternative environmental impact statement (EIS) and several…
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Congressional Republicans Unhappy with GE Alfalfa EIS
Three congressional Republicans assert that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has no authority to weigh economic factors in conducting an environmental review for genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Plant Protection Act. In a January 19, 2011, letter submitted to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, they vilify him for…
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EPA’s Authority to Allow More Ethanol in Gasoline Challenged
A coalition of major farm, food and fuel industry trade groups has reportedly filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) decision to allow gasoline with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15) to be sold for vehicles made in the 2007 model year or later. The…
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Bitter Battle over Organic Hops Comes to a Head
The American Organic Hop Grower Association (AOHGA) has reportedly persuaded a National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) subcommittee to reverse a recommendation that aimed to keep hops on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, which governs the use of synthetic and non-synthetic materials in organic production and handling. In advance of an October 25-28,…
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Supply Chain Litigation Follows Soy Grit Salmonella Contamination and Recall
A company that makes name- and store-brand food products, including cereals, granola products, pastas, and bakery goods, has sued the supplier of soybean food ingredients allegedly contaminated with Salmonella, seeking in excess of $7 million in damages. Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. v. Thumb Oilseed Producers’ Coop., No. 10-1898 (E.D. Mo., filed October 8, 2010). According to…
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Arkansas Jury Awards Rice Farmers $48 Million in GM Contamination Litigation
After less than two hours of deliberation, an Arkansas jury has reportedly awarded 12 rice farmers nearly $48 million in compensatory and punitive damages for the 2006 contamination of conventional rice stocks with a genetically modified (GM) strain. The farmers alleged that Europe and Japan stopped importing U.S. rice after the contamination became known, causing…
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EPA Supports Draft EIS in GE Alfalfa Dustup
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted comments to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) indicating that it “does not object” to APHIS’s draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa, prepared by court order after a successful court challenge to USDA’s decision to deregulate the bioengineered seed. Environmentalists convinced…
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EU High Court Adviser Rules Argentine Soy Meal Not Protected by EU Patent on GE Soybeans
A European Court of Justice adviser has determined that Monsanto Co. cannot seek royalties from a company that imported from Argentina soy meal containing residues of Monsanto’s patented gene. Case C-428/08, Monsanto Tech. LLC v. Cefetra BV (Op. of Advocate Gen. Mengozzi, delivered March 9, 2010). Monsanto has no patent on its Roundup Ready® soybeans in…