High court hears Roundup Ready case

The battle over Roundup Ready alfalfa edged closer to conclusion Tuesday as the U.S. Supreme Court considered lifting a three-year ban on the genetically engineered crop. In a case closely watched by Montana farmers, agrichemical giant Monsanto Co. argued that its herbicide-resistant alfalfa posed no irreparable harm to other crops or the environment. Three years ago, the hay was growing in popularity before a lower court, siding with organic farmers and seed exporters, banned the crop until further environmental study could be done. Study conclusions aren’t expected until next year. Curbed with the ban was an expanding genetically engineered seed industry in Montana and Wyoming, which used Laurel silos as a primary collection point. A Supreme Court ruling expected by June’s end could give farmers the OK to plant Roundup Ready alfalfa ahead of the environmental impact study being performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Conversely, a ruling favoring the farmers who brought the original lawsuit could permanently force the government to increase its scrutiny level of genetically engineered crops. If so, the Supreme Court will have sided with judges in lower districts who concluded that cross pollination by migrating bees and pollen drift is a possible danger...more

I posted an analysis of this case here.