Posts tagged Farmers
Farmers Advance in their Lawsuit Against Monsanto
Feb 13th
Monsanto is getting a taste of its own medicine; the company is being taken to court.
In this corner, we have a corporate biotech giant with a tighter grasp on the agricultural Monopoly board than your over-enthusiastic little sister on game night. (Their patented genes are in more than 80 percent of the soybeans, corn, cotton, sugar beets, and canola seeds grown in the U.S.) And in this corner, 83 scrappy plaintiffs representing non-GMO seed producers, farmers, and agricultural organizations who say they want the biotech company to stop suing and threatening them. While most are organic, not all of them are.
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Farmers Issue Lawsuit Against Monsanto for Widespread Genetic Manipulation
Feb 2nd
2nd February 2012
Contributing Writer for Wake Up World
Farmers are taking a stand against Monsanto, launching a landmark lawsuit against the mega corporation for widespread genetic contamination. The farmers are concerned that Monsanto’s aggressive agenda to genetically alter the planet will ultimately result in a severe threat to the organic integrity of farms worldwide. It is not hard to believe that many ‘organic’ farms have already been contaminated with GMO crops, as nearly 93% of soybeans are now admittedly genetically modified.
Continue Reading – Farmers Issue Lawsuit Against Monsanto for Widespread Genetic Manipulation
French Farmers Will Have to Pay to Plant Their Own Seeds
Jan 16th
16th January 2012
By Angela Bolis - guardian.co.uk
‘Compulsory voluntary contribution’ to seed companies extended to 20 more types of crops, and use of saved seeds for other crops banned’
In the world of French farming, unrestricted and royalty-free use of seeds may soon be no more than a happy memory. For several decades seeds have been brought under the protection of plant variety certificates, which enshrine plant breeders’ rights.
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Case Update: 270,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto
Sep 19th
19th September 2011
This is an update to legal proceedings which has been released by the Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association (OSGATA).
If you have not read our initial posting on this court case you can read all about it here
The 83 family farmers, small and family owned seed businesses, and agricultural organizations challenging Monsanto’s patents on genetically modified seed filed papers in federal court (13th August 2011) defending their right to seek legal protection from the threat of being sued by Monsanto for patent infringement should they ever become contaminated by Monsanto’s genetically modified seed. The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) represents the plaintiffs in the suit, titled Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association (OSGATA), et al. v. Monsanto and pending in the Southern District of New York. The August 13 filings respond to a motion filed by Monsanto in mid-July to have the case dismissed. In support of the plantiffs’ right to bring the case, 12 agricultural organizations also filed a friend-of-the-court amici brief.
“Rather than give a straight forward answer on whether they would sue our clients for patent infringement if they are ever contaminated by Monsanto’s transgenic seed, Monsanto has instead chosen to try to deny our clients the right to receive legal protection from the courts,” said Dan Ravicher, PUBPAT’s Executive Director. “Filings include sworn statements by several of the plaintiffs themselves explaining to the court how the risk of contamination by transgenic seed is real and why they cannot trust Monsanto to not use an occurrence of contamination as a basis to accuse them of patent infringement.”
It is now virtually impossible for a U.S. farmer to grow crops of their choosing (corn, soybeans, canola, etc.) and remain GMO-free because of the numerous biological and human means by which seeds can spread. “Given the difficulties in minimizing GM contamination farmers must make numerous decisions about which steps are worthwhile for them and which steps are not. They are not able to make these decisions based on their own and their customers‘ interests, but must instead make these decisions with the threat of litigation from a giant corporation looming over their head,” Spiegel writes in the amici brief. “The constant threat of a patent infringement suit by Monsanto creates significant, unquantifiable costs for Plaintiff farmers and similarly situated farmers.” The plaintiffs can do everything possible to maintain non-contaminated seeds, and will very likely still become contaminated, and be placed under the threat of a lawsuit. As Monsanto’s domination of the seed industry grows, and the winds continue to disperse pollen from their GMO laced crops, the likelihood of contamination and lawsuits only increases.
Continue Reading – Case Update: 270,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto
