Will Organic Farmers See Their Day in Court?
Judge to consider oral arguments in lawsuit against Monsanto
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NEW YORK – December 29, 2011 – In a development celebrated by the organic plaintiffs, Judge Naomi Buchwald announced yesterday that oral arguments on Monsanto’s motion to dismiss the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) et al v. Monsanto will be heard in federal district court January 31, 2012 in Manhattan. Judge Buchwald’s decision will establish if organic farmers are to see their day in court.
The eighty-three family farmers, small and family owned seed businesses, and agricultural organizations comprising the organic plaintiff group represent over 300,000 individuals. The landmark lawsuit, filed in March 2011, challenges the validity of Monsanto’s transgenic/GMO patents and seeks court protection for innocent family farmers who may become contaminated by Monsanto seed.
“We are grateful that Judge Buchwald has agreed to our request to hear oral argument on the motion,” said Jim Gerritsen, President of lead plaintiff OSGATA. “Last August we submitted our written rebuttal and it made clear that Monsanto’s motion was without merit. Our legal team, from the Public Patent Foundation, is looking forward to orally presenting our position. The family farmers deserve their day in court. We are anxious that this case go to trial as soon as possible so that our innocent farmers may receive Court protection.”
OSGATA is a membership organization composed primarily of farmers and seed businesses. Their mission is to develop and protect the organic seed industry along with their growers. In an effort to raise funds, OSGATA has launched a “Farmers Travel Fund” enabling family farmers from the plaintiff group to attend the court proceedings and related events. See www.osgata.org.
Background information on the OSGATA v. Monsanto lawsuit may be found at www.osgata.org and the Public Patent Foundation www.pubpat.org.
This is so excellent. As a student of acroecology, future organic farmer, and a citizen of Earth, I thank you so much for your coming together and standing up for the future of our food, the rights of the family farmer, the rights of the consumer, and the rights of all other life on this planet that are and will be infringed upon by Monsanto’s irresponsible technology.
~Farmer Chlo
This Monsanto abuse of the family farmer has gone on for too long. Let’s hope they get some justice. Another thought about Monsanto. Seems their roundup ready alfalfa, soybeans or corn, seed is beginning to produce the same problem it was designed to fix. Seems if a bird dropping containing alfalfa seed lands in a soybean field, it is a weed to that crop. and yup, round up doesn’t kill it. It needs to be manually removed
Why does Food Democracy want to protect the farmers that steal and technology and plant GMOs on their farm? I thought you were against GMOs. Invalidating the patents would allow any farmer to plant GMO on much greater acres.
Thanks for your inquiry, Mike. We are indeed against GMOs. The lawsuit is seeking protection for organic farmers who become inadvertently contaminated with GMOs, in other words it is intended to protect farmers who want nothing to do with GMO seeds but become contaminated and are then liable for a lawsuit from Monsanto. It’s not that organic farmers want to steal GMO technology, but rather GMO technology is contaminating their seed supply. Food Democracy Now! has been a great partner in helping us to get the word out and we can assure you that they have the same goals in mind. Additionally, as an organic farmer the use of GMO technology is not allowed, so organic farmers who become contaminated are at risk of losing their organic certification and consumer base.
We all need to stand together and fight this, enough is enough.
I salute you for taking a stand to protect the family farmers, and organic producers of food for this country and the planet. We unfortunately need to fight to protect the food, water, and air of this planet. Nothing can be taken for granted anymore. Without standing up for this, those with money will buy the influence and votes of the politicians. Even now the head of the FDA is a former employee of those he is regulating. This revolving door has compromised all our government should stand for.
I stand by the farmer’s of America. What’s happening to our food supply is a travesty.
take monsanto’s hands off the farmer’s throats and their livelihood
It seems to me that Monsanto is a monopoly with no reasonable competition, and should be subject to
Anti-trust laws. And if they are not, then opposing forces, such as yourselves, should rally behind an alternative seed source that will promise not to sue farmers the way Monsanto does. This seed source could be a co-op or non-profit, using research and genetic discoveries that are available in other countries, or in agricultural universities and labs that are unfunded by Monsanto.
Monsanto will have an interested moment when they realize that they have created their own competition because of their abusive and unfair practices. Its all about greed and money. Competition will threaten it.
Monsanto has done more harm to the world in the name of profit then good. While I fully support GMO, it must be labeled as such which Monsanto is against. Making a crop so large amounts of Roundup can be sprayed on it is a crime. When you eat a crop that has been heavy sprayed, the Roundup is now in the food & can not be washed off therefore we are ingesting roundup daily. Since we are not GMO modified, it is very hazardous to us & just look at the health problems that have arisen since they have done this. Cancer rates (roundup) record high, Diabetes (Corn Syrup) record high, & I could easily go on & on.
I am 100% FOR stopping Monsanto from doing any more damage to our planet, our food supply and to me. It is ironic that the Roundup is Monsanto’s #1 product, yet they produce seeds that are interacting with it in such a way that we get MORE chemicals in our food supply. This giant, evil Monsanto must be stopped! Good luck with the lawsuit, and I am rooting for the organic farmer, and the ‘old’ way of life- where we get our food just like my grandparents did- fresh, natural, healthy…
I support American farmers! It’s disgusting how Monsanto has been allowed to bully them and put them out of businsess. It’s unfair that average everyday American people who are trying to make a living farming food the natural way have to go up against a giant corporation with endless amounts of money. Monsanto needs to be stopped! We are talking about our food supply here!!