The Center for Food Safety (CFS) is a U.S. non-profit organization, based in Washington, D.C., that also maintains an office in San Francisco, CA. The Center works to protect human health and the environment, focusing on the use of harmful food production technologies.
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The Center promotes organic foods and sustainable agriculture.
Also, among the issues the organization works on are: genetically modified foods, organic food standards, aquaculture, animal cloning, food irradiation, synthetic hormones (such as bovine somatropin), and mad cow disease.
One of the projects of the Center is organizing The True Food Network, which is a grass-roots action network dedicated to building a socially just, democratic, and sustainable food system. This is where activists can make sure that all critical food safety issues are addressed.[1]
The Center was founded in 1997. Its executive director is a long time consumer advocate, public interest attorney, environmental activist, and author Andrew Kimbrell. Its sister organisation is International Center for Technology Assessment.
The Center was active in organising a coalition of organic food activists and environmentalists to launch important legal challenges against the planting of Genetically Modified crops in the US.
On 21 June, 2010, the US Supreme Court issued its first ruling in regard to a GM crop in the case Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms. This was a ruling in regard to Roundup Ready alfalfa.[2] This legal challenge was coordinated by the Center for Food Safety.
The case goes back to 2006, when organic farmers, concerned about the impact of GM alfalfa on their crops, sued Monsanto. In response, the California Northern District Court ruled that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was in error when it approved the planting of Roundup Ready alfalfa. According to the presiding judge, the law required the USDA to first conduct a full environmental study, which it had not done. It was the concern of the organic growers that the GM alfalfa could cross-pollinate with their organic alfalfa, making their crops unsalable in countries that forbid the growing of GM crops.
The impact of the current US Supreme Court ruling is somewhat unclear, with both sides appearing to claim victory.[3][4] While Monsanto can claim technical victory in the case, various other issues still remain open, and will likely be litigated in the future. Meanwhile, the planting of GM alfalfa currently remains halted in the US, and it is unclear when it may resume.
In 2009-2010, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has been considering the case involving the planting of genetically modified sugar beets. This case involves Monsanto's breed of pesticide-resistant sugar beets.[5] This lawsuit was also organised by the Center for Food Safety.
Earlier in 2010, Judge Jeffrey S. White allowed the planting of GM sugar beets to continue, but he also warned that this may be blocked in the future while an environmental review was taking place. Finally, on 13 August, 2010, Judge White ordered the halt to the planting of the genetically modified sugar beets in the US. He indicated that "the Agriculture Department had not adequately assessed the environmental consequences before approving them for commercial cultivation."[6]