In order to support farmers who choose to use Roundup Ready alfalfa in their forage operations, Monsanto is filing a motion to intervene in the remedy phase of a lawsuit brought by the Center for Food Safety and others against USDA.
A federal district court judge ruled Feb. 13 that USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service did not follow proper processes when it assessed Roundup Ready alfalfa's possible environmental effects. The lawsuit did not target Monsanto itself.
"Monsanto is asking to intervene because we believe it is important for hay growers to have the choice to use this beneficial technology," says Monsanto executive vice president Jerry Steiner. "Many alfalfa growers have expressed their desire to be heard and we believe Monsanto's participation in the remedy phase will help bring forward important information that underscores how crucial this technology has become to forage operations from an economic and environmental point of view."