Monsanto's extortion of US farmers

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17 Jan 2005 13:52:57 -0000

 

Monsanto's extortion of US farmers

 

 

press-release

 

 

The Institute of Science in Society Science Society

Sustainability http://www.i-sis.org.uk

 

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The Center for Food Safety just released a report detailing

Monsanto's lawsuits against American farmers. For a copy of

the report, click

www.centerforfoodsafety.org/Monsantovsusfarmersreport.cfm

 

Monsanto Assault on U.S. Farmers Detailed in New Report FOR

IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 13, 2005 Contact: Craig Culp,

(202) 547-9359, or (301) 509-0925 (mobile)

 

First-of-its-Kind Analysis Reveals Thousands of Monsanto

Investigations, Nearly 100 Lawsuits and Numerous

Bankruptcies

 

Toll-Free Hotline Established for Farmers Facing Lawsuits

or Threats from Monsanto to Get Guidance and Referrals

 

WASHINGTON - The Center for Food Safety released today an

extensive review of Monsanto's use and abuse of U.S. patent

law to control the usage of staple crop seeds by U.S.

farmers. The Center (CFS) launched its investigation to

determine the extent to which American farmers have been

impacted by litigation arising from the use of patented

genetically engineered crops. Monsanto vs. U.S. Farmers

details the results of this research, discusses the

ramifications for the future of farming in the U.S. and

outlines policy options for ending the persecution of

America's farmers.

 

" These lawsuits and settlements are nothing less than

corporate extortion of American farmers, " said Andrew

Kimbrell executive Director of CFS. " Monsanto is polluting

American farms with its genetically engineered crops, not

properly informing farmers about these altered seeds, and

then profiting from its own irresponsibility and negligence

by suing innocent farmers. We are committed to stopping

this corporate persecution of our farmers in its tracks. "

 

The report finds that, in general, Monsanto's efforts to

prosecute farmers can be divided into three stages:

investigations of farmers; out-of-court settlements; and

litigation against farmers Monsanto believes are in breach

of contract or engaged in patent infringement. CFS notes in

the report that, to date, Monsanto has filed 90 lawsuits

against American farmers in 25 states that involve 147

farmers and 39 small businesses or farm companies. Monsanto

has set aside an annual budget of $10 million dollars and a

staff of 75 devoted solely to investigating and prosecuting

farmers.

 

" Monsanto would like nothing more than to be the sole source

for staple crop seeds in this country and around the world, "

said Joseph Mendelson, CFS legal director. " And it will

aggressively overturn centuries-old farming practices and

drive its own clients out of business through lawsuits to

achieve this goal. "

 

The largest recorded judgment CFS has found thus far in

favor of Monsanto as a result of a farmer lawsuit is

$3,052,800.00. Total recorded judgments granted to Monsanto

for lawsuits amount to $15,253,602.82. Farmers have paid a

mean of $412,259.54 for cases with recorded judgments. Many

farmers have to pay additional court and attorney fees and

are sometimes even forced to pay the costs Monsanto incurs

while investigating them. " Monsanto is taking advantage of

farmers with their marketing and their threats and

lawsuits, " said Rodney Nelson, a North Dakota farmer sued

by Monsanto. " It's hard enough to farm as it is. You don't

need a big seed supplier trying to trip you up and chase you

down with lawyers. "

 

Farmers even have been sued after their fields were

contaminated by pollen or seed from a previous year's crop

has sprouted, or " volunteered, " in fields planted with non-

genetically engineered varieties the following year; and

when they never signed Monsanto's Technology Agreement but

still planted the patented crop seed. In all of these cases,

because of the way patent law has been applied, farmers are

technically liable. It does not appear to matter if the use

was unwitting or if a contract was never signed.

 

Various policy options supported by CFS include passing

local and state-wide bans or moratoriums on plantings of

genetically engineered crops; amending the Patent Act so

that genetically engineered plants will no longer be

patentable subject matter and so that seed saving is not

considered patent infringement; and legislating to prevent

farmers from being liable for patent infringement through

biological pollution.

 

CFS has established a toll-free hotline for farmers facing

lawsuits or threats from Monsanto to get guidance and

referrals: 1-888-FARMHLP.

 

 

 

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