Food Integrity

Through litigation and over 250,000 submitted public comments in a coalition of over 500 organizations, CFS successfully stopped the commercial approval of ArborGen's GE eucalyptus trees. Because of our work, there is still no GE trees approved for commercial growth in the U.S.

Between 2008-2010, Center for Food Safety successfully challenged USDA's approval of Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beets, forcing the agency to conduct a full environmental review of risks to farmers, related crops, and the environment. The case became a landmark victory for oversight of genetically engineered crops and farmer protections.

Center for Food Safety successfully challenged FDA's approval of genetically engineered salmon, the first GE animal approved for food, arguing the agency failed to assess risks to wild salmon, fisheries, consumers, and the environment. Because of our work, no genetically engineered food animals have been approved for human consumption.

Center for Food Safety challenged secrecy around GE crop field tests in Hawaiʻi and helped defend Hawaiʻi County protections limiting new GE crop cultivation and open-air testing from chemical industry attacks. Our legal advocacy and community engagement work helped spotlight the need for stronger oversight of GE crop testing and greater public accountability in Hawaiʻi.

Center for Food Safety and allies challenged USDA’s handling of genetically engineered Roundup Ready bentgrass for more than a decade. In 2007, CFS won a legal victory declaring the GE creeping bentgrass field trials unlawful.

Center for Food Safety successfully sued FDA to enforce key food safety protections required by the Food Safety Modernization Act, helping improve food traceability, outbreak response, and consumer protection. The resulting food safety protections won in court from our three successful cases help reduce the risk of widespread outbreaks and strengthen consumer confidence in the safety of the food supply.

In Geertson Seed Farms v. USDA, Center for Food Safety successfully challenged USDA's approval of Monsanto's genetically engineered Roundup Ready alfalfa, which was designed to withstand glyphosate. The decision affirmed that genetic contamination can constitute environmental and economic harm and established an important precedent for environmental review of genetically engineered crops.

Center for Food Safety successfully challenged the planting of genetically engineered crops and use of harmful pesticides on National Wildlife Refuges. These victories helped end GE crop planting across multiple refuge regions and established important protections for wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and public lands.

In National Family Farm Coalition, et al. v. Vilsack, Center for Food Safety opposed USDA's revised Part 340 regulations governing genetically engineered (GE) organisms because the rules significantly reduced federal oversight and allowed many genetically engineered crops to enter the marketplace without meaningful review. A federal court ruled in our favor in 2024 in a critical win for farmers and scientific integrity. The ruling restored basic protections for family farmers, consumers, and the environment against a seed and pesticide market increasingly dominated by a handful of agrochemical companies.