6,339
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m
add year to lede 1st sentence
The '''"Monsanto Protection Act"''' refers to a law passed by Congress in early 2013 to allow [[genetically engineered]] crops ([[GMOs]]) to remain in the ground during the course of any court challenges. The move came in the wake of successful court challenges by opponents of [[genetic engineering]] to two crops, [[Roundup Ready Alfalfa]] and [[Roundup Ready Sugarbeets]]. The name "Monsanto Protection Act" was given to this clause by [[Food Democracy Now!]] and was then adopted by opponents of genetic engineering such as the [[Organic Consumers Association]] and the [[Alliance for Natural Health]].<ref name="Natural News">Jonathan Benson, "[http://www.naturalnews.com/036477_Monsanto_immunity_GM_crops.html 'Monsanto Protection Act' to grant biotech industry total immunity over GM crops?]," Natural News, July 15, 2012.</ref> Advocates of biotechnology refer to it as the "farmer assurance provision."<ref name="Natural News"/><ref>Dave Murphy, Personal Communication with Jill Richardson, July 26, 2012.</ref>
The rider was initially placed in H.R. 5973: Agriculture Appropriations Bill, Section 733 in 2012. The House Agriculture Appropriations bill, sponsored by Rep. [[Jack Kingston]] (R-GA), was introduced and passed out of committee on June 20, 2012.<ref>[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr5973 H.R. 5973: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013], Govtrack.us.</ref> It did not become law. In 2013, the same clause was included in H.R. 933 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013, Section 735. It passed Congress on March 21, 2013 and was signed by President Obama on March 26, 2013. It became Pub.L. 113-6.<ref>[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr933 HR 933: Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013], Govtrack.us, Accessed April 4, 2013.</ref>
