On May 3, 2007 the United States District Court for the Northern District of California banned the continual planting of the Roundup Ready Alfalfa  (RRA) unless the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) made an environmental impact statement. In July, the Court granted USDA and Monsanto’s motion to amend the May 2007 judgment. The following amendments are as follows:  

• Handling, identification, and containment standards for Roundup Ready Alfalfa shall not be applied to RRA hay, unless that hay leaves its farm of origin;
• The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) shall publish and distribute a best practices guide for the cleaning of equipment used to produce RRA hay and seed;
• Monsanto and Forage Genetics must provide APHIS with the RRA field location information described therein; and
• APHIS should disclose RRA location information on its website “as soon as practicable.”  

APHIS recently announced that alfalfa growers can now obtain information on RRA field locations through a new toll-free number. The hotline may be used by conventional or organic alfalfa farmers and prospective alfalfa farmers to inquire about the proximity of their farms to RRA fields.  

For more information, visit http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/pdf/Alfalfa_Amended_Order_20070723.pdf and http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/biotechnology/content/printable_version/pa_contactinfo_re_alfalfa.pdf