A federal judge on Monday issued a preliminary injunction banning the sale of Monsanto Co.'s (MON.N) genetically modified alfalfa and any planting of the seed after March 30.
U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer of the Northern District of California granted the injunction at the request of a group of farmers, environmentalists and consumer activists who have alleged the biotech alfalfa could be destructive to both the economy and the environment.
The decision marked the first time a federal court has overturned a USDA approval of a biotech seed and halted planting, according to The Center for Food Safety, among the groups seeking the injunction.
The judge's order vacates the USDA's 2005 approval of Monsanto's alfalfa, which has been genetically modified to withstand spraying of the company's Roundup herbicide. The order called for an immediate halt to sales of the specialty seed.
Read more: http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6216884.
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