January 20, 2010

US Supreme Court to hear Monsanto appeal on GM alfalfa ban

The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear Monsanto's appeal of a ban on the sale of GM alfalfa.

Monsanto petitioned the Supreme Court in October to overturn an appeals court decision that prohibits the planting of Roundup Ready alfalfa until regulators complete a more thorough environmental review.

A ruling by the Supreme Court is expected by mid-year, but the outcome may be meaningless if the USDA completes its environmental study and gives approval to biotech alfalfa before then.

The outcome is important for a similar case involving sugar beets genetically modified to resist applications of Roundup and similar weed killers.

The impact of a sugar beet ban could have far-reaching consequences. While Roundup Ready alfalfa accounts for just 1% of the alfalfa crop, 95% of North American sugar beet acreage is planted with biotech seeds.

The American Farm Bureau Federation said upholding the alfalfa injunction could be a significant setback for agriculture in general.

The ripple effect of the injunction in this case could spread far beyond genetically-engineered sugar beets, the group said.