Friday, the USDA quietly announced deregulation of Monsanto’s GMO sugarbeets

How did we get here?

Here’s the timeline:

• 2005 – the USDA allows the planting of GMO sugar beets. As the Wall Street Journal notes, “Until now, the USDA has always allowed the unrestricted planting of a genetically modified crop once it had passed its regulatory review, a process that largely hinges on the narrow question of whether a genetically modified crop could somehow become a plant pest” – not other issues like consumer health or impact on organic farming.
• 2008 – Various groups sue, stating that the USDA should have studied the environmental impact BEFORE releasing these genes into America’s farms, rather than after.
• August 2010 – U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White rules in favor of the organics groups, saying an Environmental Impact Statement must be conducted and banning planting of GMO sugar beets until the completion – which probably won’t happen before 2012
• 2010 – Farmers panic – Monsanto has so dominated the market that there aren’t enough non-GMO seeds available for them to buy and plant. They appeal to the USDA.
• 2010 – In a separate case, Monsanto argues that the USDA should be able to partially de-regulate a GMO crop (in this case, alfalfa) while it conducts its studies, and the judge agrees.
• 2011 – The USDA appeals Judge White’s ruling, which would have required currently planted seedlings to be plowed under – hearing set for February 15.
• 2011 – The USDA, in compliance with the second ruling (but not the first) says “go ahead and plant the Monsanto seeds – with a few restrictions”. (And how will that fly next week in the appeal hearing?)
• 2011 – The environmental groups, including Earth Justice and the Center for Food Safety say they’ll return to court to block this ruling, which after all, is technically in contempt of court. But with the alfalfa ruling allowing partial de-regulation, Judge White’s hands may be tied.

Partial deregulation

Organic foods are not allowed to contain any GMO contamination, but there’s no way to keep Monsanto’s genes from spreading randomly. Pollen is blown by the wind and carried by bees, often for miles from the original source; it’s nature’s way to spread genes and protect bio-diversity.

But with GMOs, nobody wants that to happen – organic farmers because even the slightest contamination of GMOs causes them to lose their organic certification, and Monsanto because they have patents on their designer genes and don’t want them getting loose where just anyone can plant them.

Will the USDA plan prevent that?

• Giant beet processors (mostly farmer co-ops in Minnesota and North Dakota) would have to keep tabs on crops
• Some places would have the beets banned completely – primarily areas in California and Washington state where organic beets are mostly produced
• In other places, like Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a 4-mile distance must be kept between GMO crops and organic fields of both beets and chard, a related crop that can easily cross-pollinate with the GMO genes.

That might be good enough. But probably not. Paul Achitoff, the lead counsel for Earth Justice, the Center for Food Safety and other groups that had brought the lawsuit, says the USDA’s moves are “Just window dressing”, noting they’re not much different than voluntary restrictions that are already in place.

More on Monsanto and GMO

• End of Organics? Monsanto’s GMO Alfalfa Approved
• The Trouble with Monsanto and GMO – David Suzuki spells it out
• Did the White House pressure USDA to approve GMO alfalfa?
• Stonyfield Farm Takes a Swing at Monsanto (And the OCA)
• Too Much of a Bad Thing: Monsanto Did NOT Buy Blackwater
• Be Nice to Monsanto; They’re having a Bad Year

-> Next Page: Some things YOU can do…

(Sugar beet monsters photo  Some rights reserved by morberg)