Dear friends,
We try not to disturb you often, but the USDA and Secretary Vilsack,
in collaboration with Monsanto, are about to lift a court-ordered ban
on Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) "Roundup Ready" alfalfa.
This GMO would have disastrous effects on US and global agriculture.
If you have not done so already, we ask you to submit comments (it
will only take 2 minutes!) before the Wednesday, March 3rd deadline.
1. Follow the directions in the True Food Network page pasted below
to conveniently call your Senators and Representatives on Monday and
Tuesday, and tell them that they should not support the
commercialization of GM-alfalfa.
2. Follow this link:
<http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=14469696>http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=14469696
to the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) where you can send the OCA
email letter by clicking "take action now."
3. Submit comments directly to the USDA at:
<http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480a6b7a1>http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480a6b7a1.
You can write your own comments from the points below and above, or
copy and paste the letter found at the OCA link:
<http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=14469696>http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=14469696
, in the "Take Action Now" section.
Thank you for taking action on this important issue to help protect
yourself, your family, your country and the world.
Warm regards,
Susel and John Fagan
PS: Genetically engineered alfalfa would be the first perennial GM
crop, and would result in a huge increase of toxic RoundUp in the
environment. It would expose livestock widely to both genetically
engineered genes and pesticide residues. It would especially affect
cows and horses--their health, their reproduction, and their
byproducts, particularly milk.
Alfalfa pollen is carried far and wide by the wind and bees, so the
presence of GM alfalfa in the environment would contaminate organic
alfalfa, rendering organic dairy impossible. Consumers who eat
alfalfa sprouts would be exposed directly, as well as those who eat
meat.
Despite positive trends, this is the most serious GMO threat yet, as
it creates the legal precedent at the Supreme Court level, for GMO
contamination to be acceptable for any crop, with the support of the
USDA (see Background).