Michele Simon | EcoWatch | Reader Supported News | May 24, 2013
When I first wrote about how the biotech rider – called the Monsanto Protection Act by its vocal opponents – undercut the constitutional concept of separation of powers, it seemed hardly anyone was paying attention. But then a lot of people got mad, really mad.
Within a few short weeks the issue exploded in the mainstream media, with the surest sign the issue had hit the big time being coverage by The Daily Show. Another indication was outrage even from a Tea Party blogger.
Biotech companies have to get permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to plant new genetically engineered (GE) crops. In recent years, groups such as the Center for Food Safety have been gaining traction by filing lawsuits challenging federal approval, thereby stopping some novel crops from being planted when courts agreed that the USDA failed to conduct proper environmental oversight.
Enter the biotech rider, an unprecedented end-run around such court decisions. The law – conveniently snuck into the must-pass budget bill – requires the USDA to ignore a court order and allow the planting of new GE crops while the agency conducts further review, after which time it’s likely too late to undo any harm. It would be like the Food and Drug Administration saying to food makers: go ahead and put those potentially dangerous food additives on the market while we keep studying them to see if they make people sick.
Daily Queer News 