{"id":4888,"date":"2011-02-01T00:35:13","date_gmt":"2011-02-01T04:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=4888"},"modified":"2011-02-01T00:35:13","modified_gmt":"2011-02-01T04:35:13","slug":"coalition-letter-opposes-usda-ge-alfalfa-decision-calls-for-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2011\/02\/coalition-letter-opposes-usda-ge-alfalfa-decision-calls-for-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Coalition Letter Opposes USDA GE Alfalfa Decision, Calls for Action"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><font size=\"2\">(Beyond Pesticides, February 1, 20011) On January 31, 2011, a coalition of organic companies and environmental organizations, including Beyond Pesticides, released an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/documents\/GE ALFALFA SIGN-ON LETTER_FINAL.pdf\">open letter<\/a> and call to action on the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) January 27 decision to deregulate \u201cRoundUp Ready\u201d (glyphosa te-tolerant) genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa, allowing its unrestricted cultivation and threatening organic and non-GE conventional farmers. It sets a precedent for future deregulation of GE crops. The letter encourages individuals to <a href=\"http:\/\/ota.capwiz.com\/ota\/issues\/alert\/?alertid=24747501\">write to President Obama<\/a> opposing the decision and asking that the administration reconsider its position. Other signatories include upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/forum\">National Pesticide Forum keynote Maria Rodale<\/a> (CEO, Rodale, Inc. and author of <em>Organic Manifesto<\/em>), National Organic Coalition, Center for Food Safety, Organic Trade Association, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Farm, and more.<\/p>\n<p>The decision to deregulate GE alfalfa follows USDA\u2019s completion of the court-mandated environmental impact statement (EIS). Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack called for \u201ccoexistence\u201d among GE, organic and conventional non-GE farmers, despite the clear recognition in the EIS that GE contamination of organic and conventionally grown crops presents a huge problem. The EIS also fails to take into account the documented increase in herbicide-resistant \u201csuper weeds\u201d that is requiring the use of highly toxic herbicide cocktails for weed control on conventional farms. Likewise, USDA has not shown that contamination-free coexistence with deregulated GE alfalfa is likely or possible. GE alfalfa would not have to be labeled, nor would meat from livestock fed GE alfalfa.<\/p>\n<p>The letter concludes with a call to action: <em>As we move forward, we are united in opposing genetically engineered organisms in food production and believe that pressure to stop the proliferation of this contaminating technology must be focused on the White House and Congress. The companies responsible for this situation are the biotech companies whose GE technology causes genetic drift and environmental hazards that are not contained as the deregulation of genetically engineered alfalfa goes forward. The organic community stands together with consumer, farmer, environmental and business interests to ensure practices that are protective of health and the environment. We urge you to join us today: <a href=\"http:\/\/ota.capwiz.com\/ota\/issues\/alert\/?alertid=24747501\">Take Action<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Other critics of the announcement, cosponsors of the original <em>Organic Foods Productions Act<\/em>, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR), said, \u201cThis long approval process began as a search for a workable compromise, but it has ended as a surrender to business as usual for the biotech industry. USDA officials had an opportunity to address the concerns of all farmers, whether they choose to farm genetically altered crops, conventional crops, or organic crops, and to find a way for them to coexist. Instead, what we now have is a setback for the nation\u2019s organic and conventional agriculture sectors.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>Alfalfa is the nation\u2019s 4th largest crop, planted on over 21 million acres. Forage and hay are primary feed crops for dairy cows and beef cattle as well as pork, lamb, and sheep. It\u2019s not just for livestock -some vegetable farmers use the hay as mulch and alfalfa meal as a beneficial soil amendment. Alfalfa sprouts constitute an important sector of the salad market and alfalfa also plays a major role in honey production.<\/p>\n<p>Genetic engineering is often touted by chemical manufacturers as a way to reduce pesticide usage and increase disease resistance. In reality, it has actually been shown to increase pesticide usage, while disease resistant varieties are still largely in the experimental stages. Most GE crops currently on the market are genetically modified to be resistant to pests and pesticides through the incorporation of genes into food crops from a natural bacterium insecticide (Bt) or the development of herbicide-resistant crops. Thus, there are serious public health and pest resistance problems associated with GE crops. For instance, in a recent study by University of Notre Dame, scientists found that streams throughout the Midwest are contaminated with GE materials from corn crop byproducts, even six months after harvest. The long-term health effects of consuming GE food are still unknown. GE crops are also known to contaminate conventional non-GE and organic crops through \u201cgenetic drift\u201d and take a toll on the environment by increasing resistant insects and weeds, contaminating water and affecting pollinators and other non-target organisms.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more on Beyond Pesticides <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/gmos\/index.htm\">GE program page<\/a>.<br \/>\n<\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(Beyond Pesticides, February 1, 20011) On January 31, 2011, a coalition of organic companies and environmental organizations, including Beyond Pesticides, released an open letter and call to action on the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) January 27 decision to deregulate \u201cRoundUp Ready\u201d (glyphosa te-tolerant) genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa, allowing its unrestricted cultivation and threatening organic and non-GE conventional farmers. It sets a precedent for future deregulation of GE crops. The letter encourages individuals to write to President Obama opposing the decision and asking that the administration reconsider its position. Other signatories include upcoming National Pesticide Forum keynote Maria Rodale (CEO, Rodale, Inc. and author of Organic Manifesto), National Organic Coalition, Center for Food Safety, Organic Trade Association, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Farm, and more. The decision to deregulate GE alfalfa follows USDA\u2019s completion of the court-mandated environmental impact statement (EIS). Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack called for \u201ccoexistence\u201d among GE, organic and conventional non-GE farmers, despite the clear recognition in the EIS that GE contamination of organic and conventionally grown crops presents a huge problem. The EIS also fails to take into account the documented increase in herbicide-resistant \u201csuper weeds\u201d that is requiring the use of highly toxic herbicide cocktails for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alternativesorganics","category-genetic-engineering"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Coalition Letter Opposes USDA GE Alfalfa Decision, Calls for Action - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2011\/02\/coalition-letter-opposes-usda-ge-alfalfa-decision-calls-for-action\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Coalition Letter Opposes USDA GE Alfalfa Decision, Calls for Action - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(Beyond Pesticides, February 1, 20011) On January 31, 2011, a coalition of organic companies and environmental organizations, including Beyond Pesticides, released an open letter and call to action on the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) January 27 decision to deregulate \u201cRoundUp Ready\u201d (glyphosa te-tolerant) genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa, allowing its unrestricted cultivation and threatening organic and non-GE conventional farmers. It sets a precedent for future deregulation of GE crops. The letter encourages individuals to write to President Obama opposing the decision and asking that the administration reconsider its position. Other signatories include upcoming National Pesticide Forum keynote Maria Rodale (CEO, Rodale, Inc. and author of Organic Manifesto), National Organic Coalition, Center for Food Safety, Organic Trade Association, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Farm, and more. The decision to deregulate GE alfalfa follows USDA\u2019s completion of the court-mandated environmental impact statement (EIS). Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack called for \u201ccoexistence\u201d among GE, organic and conventional non-GE farmers, despite the clear recognition in the EIS that GE contamination of organic and conventionally grown crops presents a huge problem. 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It sets a precedent for future deregulation of GE crops. The letter encourages individuals to write to President Obama opposing the decision and asking that the administration reconsider its position. Other signatories include upcoming National Pesticide Forum keynote Maria Rodale (CEO, Rodale, Inc. and author of Organic Manifesto), National Organic Coalition, Center for Food Safety, Organic Trade Association, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Farm, and more. The decision to deregulate GE alfalfa follows USDA\u2019s completion of the court-mandated environmental impact statement (EIS). Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack called for \u201ccoexistence\u201d among GE, organic and conventional non-GE farmers, despite the clear recognition in the EIS that GE contamination of organic and conventionally grown crops presents a huge problem. 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The founders, who established Beyond Pesticides (originally as National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides) as a nonprofit membership organization in 1981, felt that without the existence of such an organized, national network, local, state and national pesticide policy would become, under chemical industry pressure, increasingly unresponsive to public health and environmental concerns. Beyond Pesticides believes that people must have a voice in decisions that affect them directly. We believe decisions should not be made for us by chemical companies or by decision-makers who either do not have all of the facts or refuse to consider them. Learn more about our work, read A Year in Review\u20142021, our accomplishments are your victories! Beyond Pesticides seeks to protect healthy air, water, land, and food for ourselves and future generations. By forging ties with governments, nonprofits, and people who rely on these natural resources, we reduce the need for unnecessary pesticide use and protect public health and the environment. Beyond Pesticides provides hands-on services to the public and supports local action by: identifying and interpreting hazards; and, designing safe pest management programs. With the information provided by Beyond Pesticides, people may not only be able to make informed choices and adopt practices that protect themselves and their families from unnecessary exposure to pesticides, but they will be able to effect changes on community-wide pest management decisions and policies that govern pesticide use, such as pesticide uses in parks, schools, for community insect control and along roadsides. 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