MONSANTO LAW SUIT:
The fight that GMO’s have brought into the backyards of farmers isn’t just a fight for the farmers, but all people who consume the potentially dangerous and unmonitored foods that are being forced down American throats. Other countries have woken up to these dangers and have outright banned the import of any GMO crops. One example is the wheat crop that was being developed in Australia that was found to potentially cause liver damage in humans. Imagine if such a crop had been created here in the US where GMOs are not tested as well as they need to be. People would have died. The GMO industry is all about squeezing money out of everyone regardless of the damage done to naturally developed crops. What I want to know is why hasn’t the EPA stepped up and started its own investigation of this issue? Who knows what potential risk the natural ecosystems and species are facing.
Oral arguments in the appeal of dismissal in the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association et al v. Monsanto start today, January 10th, in Washington, DC. If you can’t join the Citizens Assembly gathering in DC, show your support by standing with the farmers. Family Farmers plan to enter the courtroom.
The lawsuit, first filed in 2011 represented a large group of organic seed companies including our family here at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and was meant to halt the harassing patent violation claims and abusive treatment of farmers by Monsanto. The suit was dismissed in early 2012 by Federal Judge Naomi Buchwald.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal District will hear the arguments supported by numerous well-known professors of Law and non-profit agriculture and consumer groups. Public Patent Foundation attorneys representing OSGATA believe the judge committed several errors and are hopeful about the outcome.
In support of farmers and growers, Food Democracy Now is organizing a citizens assembly is support of the growers and farmers. Dozens of family farmers, plaintiffs in the landmark lawsuit will travel from across America to Washington, D.C.
tomorrow to take on Monsanto and demand the right to farm without fear of aggressive lawsuits from Monsanto. Citizen’s Assembly in support of family farmers will be held at 10am in Lafayette Square will coincide with the beginning of the Oral Argument inside the courtroom.
Farmers now fear crop contamination by Monsanto’s GMO seeds. Monsanto filed 144 lawsuits against America’s family farmers and settled another 700 out of court between 1997 and 2010. These aggressive lawsuits have created an atmosphere of fear in rural America and driven dozens of farmers into bankruptcy. Monsanto has patented many seeds.
“It’s actually a criminal offense if you save you seeds that have been patented,” says Jere Gettle, owner of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Many farmers have been forced to stop growing certain crops to avoid genetic contamination and potential lawsuits from Monsanto. This case challenges the validity of Monsanto’s genetically engineered seed patents and seeks Court protection for family farmers who, through no fault of their own, may have become contaminated by Monsanto’s patented seed and find themselves accused of patent infringement.
“Our farmers want nothing to do with Monsanto,” declared Maine certified organic seed farmer, Jim Gerritsen, President of lead Plaintiff Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association. “We are not customers of Monsanto. We don’t want their seed. We don’t want their gene-spliced technology. We don’t want their trespass onto our farms. We don’t want their contamination of our crops. We don’t want to have to defend ourselves from aggressive assertions of patent infringement because Monsanto refuses to keep their pollution on their side of the fence. We want justice.”
The fight that GMO’s have brought into the backyards of farmers isn’t just a fight for the farmers, but all people who consume the potentially dangerous and unmonitored foods that are being forced down American throats. Other countries have woken up to these dangers and have outright banned the import of any GMO crops. One example is the wheat crop that was being developed in Australia that was found to potentially cause liver damage in humans. Imagine if such a crop had been created here in the US where GMOs are not tested as well as they need to be. People would have died. The GMO industry is all about squeezing money out of everyone regardless of the damage done to naturally developed crops. What I want to know is why hasn’t the EPA stepped up and started its own investigation of this issue? Who knows what potential risk the natural ecosystems and species are facing.
Oral arguments in the appeal of dismissal in the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association et al v. Monsanto start today, January 10th, in Washington, DC. If you can’t join the Citizens Assembly gathering in DC, show your support by standing with the farmers. Family Farmers plan to enter the courtroom.
The lawsuit, first filed in 2011 represented a large group of organic seed companies including our family here at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and was meant to halt the harassing patent violation claims and abusive treatment of farmers by Monsanto. The suit was dismissed in early 2012 by Federal Judge Naomi Buchwald.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal District will hear the arguments supported by numerous well-known professors of Law and non-profit agriculture and consumer groups. Public Patent Foundation attorneys representing OSGATA believe the judge committed several errors and are hopeful about the outcome.
In support of farmers and growers, Food Democracy Now is organizing a citizens assembly is support of the growers and farmers. Dozens of family farmers, plaintiffs in the landmark lawsuit will travel from across America to Washington, D.C.
tomorrow to take on Monsanto and demand the right to farm without fear of aggressive lawsuits from Monsanto. Citizen’s Assembly in support of family farmers will be held at 10am in Lafayette Square will coincide with the beginning of the Oral Argument inside the courtroom.
Farmers now fear crop contamination by Monsanto’s GMO seeds. Monsanto filed 144 lawsuits against America’s family farmers and settled another 700 out of court between 1997 and 2010. These aggressive lawsuits have created an atmosphere of fear in rural America and driven dozens of farmers into bankruptcy. Monsanto has patented many seeds.
“It’s actually a criminal offense if you save you seeds that have been patented,” says Jere Gettle, owner of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Many farmers have been forced to stop growing certain crops to avoid genetic contamination and potential lawsuits from Monsanto. This case challenges the validity of Monsanto’s genetically engineered seed patents and seeks Court protection for family farmers who, through no fault of their own, may have become contaminated by Monsanto’s patented seed and find themselves accused of patent infringement.
“Our farmers want nothing to do with Monsanto,” declared Maine certified organic seed farmer, Jim Gerritsen, President of lead Plaintiff Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association. “We are not customers of Monsanto. We don’t want their seed. We don’t want their gene-spliced technology. We don’t want their trespass onto our farms. We don’t want their contamination of our crops. We don’t want to have to defend ourselves from aggressive assertions of patent infringement because Monsanto refuses to keep their pollution on their side of the fence. We want justice.”