The killer seed is back.
Well, maybe back is not the right word. Perhaps the right word is comeback.
The seed: Monsanto’s genetically modified canola.
The start: their introduction into Canadian farmlands pre-1997, when Agribusiness giant Monsanto Co. sued farmer Percy Schmeiser after they found biotech canola growing in his fields.
The problem: Schmeiser never planted GMO canola.
It appears the GMO Canola migrated to Schmeiser’s fields (airborne pollen, carried by animals and through spillage). Monsanto's position was that it didn't matter whether Schmeiser knew or not that his canola field was contaminated with the Roundup Ready gene; as a result the massive Agribusiness firm is now demanding a Technology Fee of $15./acre from Schmeiser. The 73-year-old farmer contends the contamination of his crops destroyed a lifetime of work improving them.
The case, eventually, went to the Supreme Court of Canada. Canada’s top court ruled that Schmeiser didn't have to pay Monsanto. Anything.
But the purpose of this blog is not to go into the historical details of the Schmeiser case (for that, go on line to: http://www.percyschmeiser.com).
The purpose of this blog is to highlight the NEXT battle in the Frankenstein food monopoly of Monsanto.
As we sit and read our blogs, sipping our soya-lattes, Saskatchewan's certified organic farmers are taking Monsanto and Bayer Crop Science to court. The precedent setting class action lawsuit is being launched in an attempt to stop genetically engineered wheat and to get compensation for losing canola as a crop due to genetic contamination. The class action suit was prompted by Monsanto’s intention to introduce genetically engineered wheat – a crop that produces an average annual yield of 24.5 million tons, making Canada one of the world’s largest wheat producers.
The fact is contamination of our wheat sources WILL result in a reduction of our wheat markets (many European and Asian nation’s have banned all GMO products) – further damaging our already fragile farming economy. This process would also put us in a position of trade reliance on the United States and other GMO friendly sources – an economic position that seems contradict everything, including common sense.
Want to know more? Want to get involved?
For more information go to: http://www.saskorganic.com/oapf/index.html
To sign a petition against Monsanto go to: http://www.organicconsumers.org/monfax.cfm
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