As I wrote about here on Organic Insider several weeks ago, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) was getting very close to approving genetically-engineered diamondback moths.
Yesterday afternoon, APHIS did exactly what many of us expected them to do.
They gave the “go-ahead” for these moths and said that “an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.”
The truth is that genetically-engineered moths pose a very serious risk to both the environment and economic health of organic farmers in the New York region, not to mention the devastating impact they could have on the overall organic industry.
According to Jaydee Hansen, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Food Safety, “Dead GMO-moth larvae could very well end up in organic broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower, all members of the brassica family. These organic vegetables are grown in upstate New York, near where the GE-moths will be released.”
Fortunately, these genetically-engineered diamondback moths won’t be released just yet.
The State of New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DOC) must provide a permit before anything can happen. This will be the first time ever that the DOC will be considering a permit for a GE-insect, so approval is by no means a slam dunk.
I will be sure to keep you posted when there is more news to report on this very, very unfortunate development. And this includes any efforts that our side plans to pursue in order to stop this GMO-moth.
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Sincerely, 
Max Goldberg, Founder |
