Monsanto seeks alfalfa patent.

• Author: Peck, John
• Position: Biodevastation

On April 16th, 2004, Monsanto submitted a federal petition for commercial introduction of "RoundUp Ready" (RR) alfalfa in the US. Given that alfalfa is a common perennial forage and cover crop used in a wide variety of animal feeds and even eaten by humans, this latest move by Monsanto to bring another genetically modified organism (GMO) into the world is now ringing alarm bells across rural America.

What will be the impact on animals that now consume alfalfa, from cows and horses to chickens and bees?

Will there be adverse health impacts downstream in the human food supply? What about the environmental consequences? Could this latest herbicide resistant GMO crop jeopardize the long- term utility of glyphosate (commonly known by its brand name, RoundUp) as "super weeds" emerge? Will alfalfa itself become an invasive plant largely immune to conventional control techniques? If there are problems, who will assume liability: the manufacturer, the distributor, the farmer, the consumer?

Many of these questions have yet to be resolved and should be before Monsanto is permitted to bring its biotech alfalfa into US agriculture.

Alfalfa is considered the best available feed for ruminants and is critical to the dairy industry, providing up to a third of crude protein, half of the calcium, and a quarter of the energy needed on a daily basis by a typical cow. Other livestock sectors that rely upon alfalfa include beef cattle, sheep, chickens, turkeys, and horses. Pelletized alfalfa is a common component of many pet foods for everything from iguanas and parakeets to hamsters and rabbits.

Alfalfa also produces a large amount of nectar, up to 1900 pounds per acre, which is why it is so popular among beekeepers. In turn, honey bees, alkali bees, and leaf cutter bees are important pollinators for alfalfa producers.

Dubbed "queen of the forages," alfalfa is a perennial herbaceous legume, known as lucerne in many other countries, and is originally from the European Caucasus and Central Asia. Since its introduction to North America, alfalfa has been among the top four field crops in the US (along with corn, soy, and wheat).

In 2004, the USDA estimated that 77.4 million tons were produced on 22.2 million acres, with an additional 88.5 million tons of alfalfa-mixed hay produced on another 39.4 million acres. About 7% of alfalfa seed in the US is also eaten directly by humans in the form of sprouts, and natural food consumers are highly wary of potential GMO...