Merkley Vrs Monsanto

Jeff Merkley is continuing his effort to have the Monsanto Protection Act die a proper death, but the GOP House members have other plans.  There is a renewal of the act buried in the Continuing Resolution to fund the government that was passed by the house, and Merkley wants it killed in the Senate.  In related news, a Washington State farmer growing alfalfa for export had his crop rejected for containing GM alfalfa, an apparent contamination of his fields seed stock.  Alfalfa GM seeds are not distributed by Monsanto.

Alfalfa is America's fourth largest crop, behind corn, wheat and soybeans, and the main feedstock for the dairy industry. A confirmed case of contamination could hurt the organic dairy industry, which is now worth $26bn a year, forcing farmers to find new sources of GM-free feed. It could also hurt a growing export industry. Alfalfa is increasingly sold for export but buyers, such as Japan, do not want GM products.
Campaigners said the suspected case of contamination provided further evidence of the difficulties of containing GM crops.
"It's telling that these things keep happening repeatedly," said George Kimbrell, senior attorney at the Center for Food and Safety in Portland, Oregon. "It's a systemic problem. We have a failed regulatory system for these crops."