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Farmers, organics producers file suit against Monsanto

WellWise readers may have seen some of our recent blogs about genetically modified crops (GMOs), and how farmers and producers of organic foods were blindsided by the recent USDA decisions to allow unregulated planting of GMO alfalfa, corn and sugar beets. Well, it appears they are not going to take it lying down.

On March 30, a coalition of family farmers and seed businesses, represented legally by the Public Patent Foundation, filed suit against Monsanto, the GMO agricultural giant. They had to – it is a desperation move, and probably one that should have been made long ago.

You see, Monsanto modifies a crop’s seeds genetically to be resistant to its herbicide RoundUp, and then patents the seed. Then the company has a very aggressive and nasty practice of sending its “seed police” into farmlands to find its GM plants growing in someone’s field, someone who hasn’t paid for the right to plant the patented seed.

No matter that the farmer’s crop was contaminated by bees or wind carrying the GM seed into his field, Monsanto then sues the farmer for patent infringement and can even seize the farmer’s crop.

Imagine that you’re a farmer who is trying to do the right thing by practicing sustainable farming techniques and growing organic alfalfa to feed cows that will produce organic milk and meat. Five miles down the road, a farmer plants his Monsanto’s GM alfalfa and within one growing season, the years you’ve spent converting your land to organic is down the drain because your crop has been contaminated by the genetically modified Monsanto seeds.  Then here come the seed police followed by the Monsanto lawyers, and you are sued into bankruptcy.

This is no imaginary scenario. It is happening around the world. Finding organic canola in Canada is practically impossible now because of GMO contamination. GM seeds are settling all over the place, even in the wild where they are not supposed to be able to thrive. GM plants are like an army on the march, attacking and occupying one piece of land after another. Monsanto’s stated goal is to have all the world’s seeds patented, and thus control production of all crops.

Monsanto is a chemical company (they gave us DDT, Agent Orange, PCB’s and more, which we were told were all safe … and which we learned was far from the truth).

Half of Monsanto’s profits come from the seeds they sell, half from the chemicals they sell to prevent their plants from being overtaken by weeds or eaten by insects. The company’s interests lie in profit and cornering the market, not in our food safety or integrity. And it is so powerful that the only things that may be able to stop it from reaching its goals are the success of lawsuits like the one this coalition has just filed, public outcry and grassroots action.

If you care about your food supply, being able to choose goods that are non-GMO (by insisting that they be labeled), want to be able to buy organic food and products, or care about protecting our farmers, consider signing a petition to President Obama here, or e-mailing USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack at agsec@usda.gov.

Educate your self about Monsanto and its corporate practices here.

Learn about the GMO Awareness Campaign here.