Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Did the White House pressure USDA to approve Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa?

Did the White House pressure USDA to approve Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa?

Why did Tom Vilsack completely cave and approve Monsanto’s Gene Modified (GMO) alfalfa without any restrictions at all?
Vilsack – a longtime proponent of biotech who had been derided as “Monanto’s buddy” when he was Governor of Iowa – had been working for months on a “coexistence” plan that would have at least attempted to prevent contamination of conventional and organic crops with Monsanto’s tailored genes.

Industry pressure wouldn’t have been enough to force Vilsack to abandon the plan – Monsanto has been pushing for 12 years to get this approved, after all. What changed was a one-two punch from the political side.

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