Stoughton, WI (August 6, 2007) ¨Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published in the Federal Register a toll free telephone number that will inform alfalfa producers if Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa had been planted in close proximity to their farms. This toll free number was required by an Amended Judgment issued by U.S. District Court Judge Charles R. Breyer in Geertson Seed Farms et.al. vs. Mike Johanns, et.al. This order required that notice be provided to alfalfa farmers who live within the same county or adjacent county to Roundup Ready alfalfa farms.

This information is critical, said Phil Geertson, an alfalfa seed grower and a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The introduction of genetically engineered alfalfa poses the potential of destroying our industry. Even the perception of contamination can create significant problems in our ability to market our seeds."

The Amended Judgment requires the USDA to disclose the counties in the 17 Western states where Roundup Ready Alfalfa was planted, to disclose a timeline for disclosure of the counties in the eastern states where Roundup Ready alfalfa was planted, and to establish a toll-free hotline number to provide farmers with information necessary to determine whether their crops could be jeopardized by contamination. The toll-free number, just released by USDA, is (866) 724-6408.

We would hope that the USDA goes beyond the dictates of the Court Order and does everything in its power to make alfalfa growers aware of this problem, said John Smillie of the Western Organization of Resource Councils. It's clear that alfalfa growers livelihood are jeopardized by the introduction of Roundup Ready varieties until a full EIS can be completed. It is incumbent on the USDA to do everything in their power to protect their constituents - the farmers.

The amended order also clarified the responsibilities of the USDA in communicating proper cleaning, storing and handling procedures to producers who had grown Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa prior to the issuance of a permanent injunction prohibiting further planting after March 30, 2007. USDA issued an administrative order addressing these issues on July 12, 2007.

The Court had previously vacated the USDA's decision to deregulate Roundup Ready alfalfa issued on June 14, 2005 based on a finding that the assessment process utilized in approving Roundup Ready alfalfa was wholly inadequate. As a result of that finding, the Court required the USDA to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and ordered a halt to all planting of the Roundup Ready alfalfa until the EIS was completed.

Given the problems of lax and sometimes non-existent federal oversight of GE crops, it is time for the USDA to step up to the plate and demonstrate that they have the farmers interests at heart, said Bill Wenzel, National Director of the Farmer to Farmer Campaign on Genetic Engineering. Contamination of rice in Arkansas and Missouri cost rice producers millions of dollars in 2006/07. The Farmer to Farmer Campaign together with numerous other farm groups from throughout the country are demanding an overhaul in the federal regulatory system regarding GE crops.