Victory! Court Finds USDA Violated Federal Law by Allowing Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets

[bananas]

Victory! Court Finds USDA Violated Federal Law by Allowing Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets on the Market

The Center For Food Safety
Posted by Heather

Government Failed To Evaluate Environmental and Economic Risks of Monsanto Product

In a case brought by Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice representing a coalition of farmers and consumers, a Federal Court ruled yesterday that the Bush USDA’s approval of genetically engineered (GE) “RoundUp Ready” sugar beets was unlawful. The Court ordered the USDA to conduct a rigorous assessment of the environmental and economic impacts of the crop on farmers and the environment.

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While industry asserts that the adoption rates of GE sugar beets has been high, food producers have shown reluctance in accepting GE beet sugar. Over 100 companies have joined the Non-GM Beet Sugar Registry opposing the introduction of GE sugar beets, and pledging to seek wherever possible to avoid using GM beet sugar in their products.

<snip>

There is increasing speculation that the Department of Justice’s antitrust division is scrutinizing Monsanto’s allegedly anticompetitive practices in the markets for GE seeds and traits.

The case is Center for Food Safety v. Vilsack, No. C 08-00484 JSW (N.D. Cal. 2009). The decision follows on the heels of a June 2009 decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirming the illegality of the APHIS’ approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered alfalfa.

[Metta]

1. Maze. freaking tov.

Monsanto is the anti-Christ and the USDA is its lapdog. Let's see if we can do any better this time around.

[phasma ex machina]

8. Monsanto IS the superweed ...

without the high.

[DeSwiss]

2. K & R!!!!!

- Fucking bastards......

[bananas]

3. "We expect the same result here as we got in alfalfa" (NY Times)

NY Times:

Judge Rejects Approval of Biotech Sugar Beets
By ANDREW POLLACK
Published: September 22, 2009

<snip>

The decision echoes another ruling two years ago by a different judge in the same court involving genetically engineered alfalfa. In that case, the judge later ruled that farmers could no longer plant the genetically modified alfalfa until the Agriculture Department wrote the environmental impact statement. Two years later, there is still no such assessment and the alfalfa, with rare exceptions, is not being grown.

In the new case, Judge White has not yet decided on the remedy. A meeting to begin that phase of the case is scheduled for Oct. 30.

But the plaintiffs in the lawsuit said they would press to ban planting of the biotech beets, arguing that Judge White’s decision effectively revoked their approval and made them illegal to grow outside of field trials.

“We expect the same result here as we got in alfalfa,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety, a Washington advocacy group that was also involved in the alfalfa lawsuit. “It will halt almost any further planting and sale because it’s no longer an approved crop.”

<snip>

[flyarm]

4. how do we know if the beets we have bought were from GM seed? anyone know?

i have cans of beets that i now do not want to eat..and i use beets in my salads and now i feel sick that i may have eaten GM beets.

damn i am sick of this shit!

thanks to anyone who answers me ..about the beets already in our shelves!

[LittleOne]

6. Different kind of beet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_beet

Sugar beets are for making sugar. They are different from the red ones in the can.

[NNadir]

5. Wow! I favor absolute restriction of all changes to nucleic acids.

Evolution should definitely be outlawed, as well as selective breeding.

[hootinholler]

7. And I have a problem eating any plant that can survive a pesticide as strong as round-up

Even ignoring what happens to the fauna on farms that use the roundup no-till drill regieme.

-Hoot

[NNadir]

9. I favor banning any plant that can survive a toxin as potent as 5-hydroxy-a-napthaquinone, aka

jugalone.

The DNA for this herbicide is clearly toxic to plants.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1148.html

It is time for us phase out the toxic black walnut tree, because of this unpleasant feature of its DNA, because clearly this DNA is different from the DNA, of say, plants than don't harm apple trees. One useful thing to do would be make furniture from all the black walnuts, wild and otherwise.

Frankly, I'm very, very, very, very happy about the near extinction of the American Chestnut, since like the black walnut, it was an allopath with a very toxic compound that leached from its roots, shoots and leaves. It would have been a complete disaster to have inserted DNA in the American Chestnut that was resistant to the introduced blight.

As for Round-up, I favor the immediate banning of the amino acid alanine, since it's structure is the core of this very, very, very, very, very, very toxic molecule that has destroyed much life on earth.

[NickB79]

10. Well, Round-Up is a herbicide, not a pesticide

And out of curiosity, what herbicides are weak enough to be used on farms, by your standards?