Victory for Biotech

A Supreme Court ruling that came down on Monday was a "victory for Monsanto and others in the agricultural biotechnology industry," according to the New York Times. In a 7-to-1 decision, the Supreme Court found that a San Francisco federal district judge's 2007 ruling that led to a ban on planting genetically engineered alfalfa seeds, known as Roundup Ready alfalfa, was too far-reaching. The court said that the ruling should have left room for a partial approval of the seeds to be considered. The Times adds that "because the Supreme Court left in place the lower court's rejection of approving the crop, the Agriculture Department must either fully or partly approve it before growing can resume."