Take Action: 12 New GMOs Up For Approval!
Earlier this summer USDA posted 12 new GE crops for public
comment with a September 11 deadline, and 9 are under the new
fast-tracked process. That's 12 new GMOs to review and issue
comments on in two months!
Here's the lowdown, 3 of the new crops are under the old
petition process. Under the old process there is only one 60-day
public comment period. Here are the 3 crops under the old
process:
---
Dow 2,4-D and Glufosinate Tolerant Soybean (APHIS-2012-0019)
Take Action!
Since the introduction of GM
crops, the US has seen herbicide use increase by over
300 million pounds. Big Biotech originally claimed that
weeds would not develop resistance to glyphosate (RoundUp), but
they have and these new "superweeds" have become the
driving force behind new crops engineered for stacked, or
multiple, herbicide tolerances. Adoption of these new crops will
lead to dramatic increases in the use of higher risk herbicides
such as 2,4-D and dicamba, perpetuating the herbicide treadmill
that is already in place.
2,4-D is already the third-most-used US herbicide, after
glyphosate and atrazine, and as a
leading source of dioxin pollution, it's one of the
most deadly. As of yet, however, it's hardly used on soy at
all. Just
3 percent of total US soybean acres were treated with 2,4-D
in 2006. Not only will this percentage skyrocket once Agent
Orange soy hits the market, the amount used per acre may
triple according to the USDA.
---Bayer Glyphosate and Isoxaflutole Tolerant Soybean (APHIS-2012-0029)
---Syngenta Corn Rootworm Resistant Corn (APHIS-2012-0024)
Under the new process, USDA has also opened 9 additional new
crops for public comment. This initial comment period applies to
the petitions for nonregulated status which include information
submitted by the petitioning company. Once USDA has the
completed their environmental analyses they will open a final
30-day comment period for the decision-making documents.
Here are the 9 crops under the new process with the same
September 11 deadline:
---Okanagan
Non-Browning Apple (APHIS-2012-0025)
Take Action!
Okanagan's "Arctic" apple would
be the first genetically engineered version of a food that
people directly bite into. According to the latest study by the
Environmental Working Group, conventionally grown apples are
the most pesticide contaminated fruit or vegetable on the
market. Conventional apples are dangerous, and GMO apples are
just a dumb idea - one not even supported by many in the apple
industry itself!
---Dow 2,4-D, Glyphosate and Glufosinate tolerant Soybean (APHIS-2012-0032)
Take Action!
---Monsanto
Dicamba Tolerant Soybean (APHIS-2012-0047)
Take Action!
According to the
Institute for Science in Society (ISIS), "dicamba is
actually an old herbicide that served alongside "agent orange"
in Vietnam, and has been resurrected as an environmentally
friendly chemical through the magic of public relations."
---BASF Imidazolinone Tolerant Soybean (APHIS-2012-0028)
---Monsanto High Yield Soybean (APHIS-2012-0020)
---Monsanto Glyphosate Tolerant Canola (APHIS-2012-0035)
---Pioneer Glyphosate Tolerant Canola (APHIS-2012-0031)
---Monsanto Hybrid Corn (APHIS-2012-0027)
---Genective Glyphosate Tolerant Corn (APHIS-2012-0046)
USDA Fast-Tracks GMO Crop Approval Process
Despite massive public opposition, last year the USDA
announced plans to streamline its genetically engineered
petition process under the Animal Plant and Health Inspection
Service (APHIS). Earlier this year these controversial changes
were implemented, speeding up the approval process for new
genetically engineered seeds and crops. The new process will cut
in half the time it takes for new GE seeds and crops to enter
the market.
USDA claims that the new fast-track process allows for earlier
input from the public to improve the quality of its
environmental analyses. But according to a USDA
press release, the new process is a part of efforts by the
Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, to "transform USDA into a
high-performing organization that focuses on its customers." The
customers that USDA is so keen on assisting are none other than
Monsanto, Dow, Dupont, BASF, Syngenta, and the rest of the
Biotech bullies!
Organic Consumers Association
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