Big Win for Biotech: USDA Deregulates Monsanto Alfalfa  After nearly five years of legal and regulatory battles, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has fully deregulated Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa that is genetically modified (GM) to be resistant to Roundup herbicide. The decision squashed a proposed compromise between the biotech industry and its opponents that would have placed geographic restrictions on Roundup Ready alfalfa to prevent organic and traditional alfalfa from being contaminated by herbicide sprays and transgenes spread by cross-pollination and other factors.  Obama's Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that Roundup Ready alfalfa would be fully deregulated on January 27, just one week after he testified before the House Committee on Agriculture, where committee members pressed Vilsack to fully deregulate Roundup Ready alfalfa and reject the proposal to geographically isolate it from traditional alfalfa. "I am pleased that USDA used sound science and respected the limit of its statutory authority to make this decision," said committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Oklahoma) after learning that Roundup Ready alfalfa would be fully deregulated. Monsanto was one of the top contributors to Lucas's campaign committee in 2010. A political action committee and individuals associated with Monsanto donated $11,000 to his campaign last year, and Lucas has received $1,247,844 from the agribusiness industry during his political career. Lucas was elected chairman of the Agriculture Committee in December.

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