Monsanto's 'Roundup Ready' Alfalfa Controversy

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Case Details:

Case Code : BECG078
Case Length : 13 Pages
Period : 1999-2007
Pub Date : 2007
Teaching Note :Not Available
Organization : Monsanto Company
Industry : Agricultural Biotechnology
Countries : US

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This case study was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion. It is not intended to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. Nor is it a primary information source.

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"The USDA cannot ensure GMO alfalfa can be grown without cross-contaminating other crops, so it should not be allowed and it is not needed. Farmers have been growing alfalfa successfully for a hundred years."¹

- George Siemon, CEO, Organic Valley², in April 2007.

"We support a farmer's right to choose biotechnology, organic or conventional crops with the proper stewardship practices that make coexistence feasible. We have heard from farmers across the country who are disappointed they can't access this technology."³

- Jerry Steiner, Executive Vice President, Monsanto, in May 2007.

Introduction

On May 03, 2007, the California Northern District Court issued an injunction order prohibiting farmers from continuing with the planting of Roundup Ready Alfalfa (RRA) till the US Department of Agriculture⁴ (USDA) had completed a study on the environmental impact of RRA.

This order followed the preliminary injunction order passed on March 12, 2007, allowing the farmers to continue growing, harvesting, and selling RRA as a feed for livestock.

However, this was restricted to only RRA planted by March 30, 2007.

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Commenting on the final ruling of May 03, 2007, Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director, Center for Food Safety⁵ (CFS), said, "This ruling is good news for organic farmers and most conventional farmers across the country. This crop represents a very real threat to their crops and their livelihood. This ruling is a turning point in the regulation of biotech crops in this country."⁶

In the year 1999, Monsanto Company (Monsanto), one of the leading companies in the agricultural biotechnology industry in the US, licensed its 'Roundup Ready' technology to be used on alfalfa to Forage Genetics International⁷ (FGI). The company's Roundup Ready crops were genetically engineered to allow direct application of the herbicide glyphosate on the crops as well as on the land used for growing these crops in order to kill the nearby weeds without causing any harm to the crops themselves. The two companies proved that the cultivation of organic and biotech crops together was feasible through proper supervision and planting techniques.

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1] "GMO Alfalfa will Devastate Organic Dairy Industry,"www.worldproutassembly.org, April 17, 2007.

2] Organic Valley is a co-operative owned by the farmers. It produces organic milk, organic cheese, organic butter, organic eggs, organic juice, organic soy beverages, organic produce, and organic meats (Source: www.organicvalley.coop).

3] "US District Court Ruling Suspends Planting of Roundup Ready Alfalfa,"www.agriculture.com, May 03, 2007.

4] The US Department of Agriculture chalks out and executes policies related to farming, agriculture, and food in the US (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org).

5] The Center for Food Safety is a non-profit group supporting environmental protection. Its offices are located in Washington DC and San Francisco.

6] "Court Halts Planting of Monsanto's Transgenic Alfalfa,"www.ens-newswire.com, May 03, 2007.

7] Forage Genetics International is involved in the development, production, and marketing of high-quality, value-added alfalfa genetics and technologies (Source: www.foragegenetics.com).