An alfalfa update

January 28, 2011 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

Author:  Damien M. Schiff

I've reported here before on the legal controversy surrounding Roundup Ready Alfalfa, a controversy that went all the way to the Supreme Court last year in Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms.  The dispute was over the Department of Agriculture's decision to allow wide use of a genetically modified type of alfalfa, and organic alfalfa farmers' (and environmentalists') opposition to that decision.  In 2007, a federal district court overturned the feds' decision to allow broad use of the modified alfalfa, and enjoined any use until the feds completed a new environmental impact study.  The Supreme Court in Monsanto overturned that injunction, but did not authorize immediate use of the modified alfalfa.

Fast forward to this week, when the Department of Agriculture announced, following the release of a 2,000+ page environmental review document, that it was going forward with allowing broad use of modified alfalfa.  Keep on the look out for another lawsuit.