By Barbara H. Peterson
Recently Natural News put out an article titled “Court rules organic farmers can sue conventional, GMO farmers whose pesticides ‘trespass’ and contaminate their fields” The article puts forth the supposition that this is a good thing, and somehow a victory by organics over Monsanto:
<snip> The stunning victories of both the Johnson’s and Jacob’s Farm / Del Cobo against their chemical-polluting neighbors is huge, in that it represents a new set legal precedent for holding conventional, factory farming operations responsible for the damage their systems cause to other farms. And with this new precedent set, many more organic farmers, for instance, can now begin suing GMO farmers for both chemical and genetic pollution that drifts onto their farms. <end snip>
A stunning victory? I don’t think so. In fact, I believe that this is a set-up, and not a precedent at all, but a planned maneuver by a wily and unscrupulous government agency and Monsanto. The fact that GMOs are acknowledged as a contaminant is good. However, let’s take a closer look at just what is really going on behind the scenes, and why I believe this is a divide and conquer strategy put in play to further erode our agricultural base, and drive family farms out of business.
At first glance, farmers being able to sue other farmers for GMO contamination seems to be a good thing. Farmer contaminates farmer’s field, farmer sues for loss of crops. Everyone is happy, right? Wrong. The fact is that in this particular case, organic farmers only won this victory because the farm that did the contaminating was habitually violating already existing pesticide laws. This does not address the real issue, which is why invasive crops are allowed to grow right next to conventional crops to begin with. There are two victims here, besides the people who are being fed GMOs without their knowledge or consent. Both farmers are victims in this scenario.
Farmers who buy GMOs are victims of corporate greed, trickery, and Monsanto’s covert agenda as well as the organic farmers who are trying to keep from getting contaminated. Yes, the GMO farmers should not buy the junk in the first place. But let me ask you something: When you go to the grocery store, do you look at the label of each and every thing you buy? Do you know what the ingredients are in all of the foods you eat? Can you even pronounce half of them? And once you get the food home, even if it contains something that you’ve never even heard of, do you still eat it, or do you throw it away? If you answer no to these questions, can you really fault farmers for doing the exact same thing that you yourself are guilty of?
Let’s get real. Most farmers have been hoodwinked into getting Monsanto seed, and once caught in the trap, are held there or face the very real probability of losing their farms and livelihoods. Conventional seeds are becoming harder and harder to get thanks to Monsanto’s penchant for buying up every large seed company it can get its dirty little mitts on. This company is literally able to create an artificial seed shortage so that the only seeds farmers can get at times are GMOs. And once you go GMO, good luck getting rid of Monsanto.
Enter Monsanto’s Technology Use Agreement, which specifically leaves the farmers who buy the company’s genetically engineered seed with all of the liability should neighbors who have been contaminated decide to sue. And did I forget to mention that most buffer zones for GMOs have been eliminated? As well as most regulations. Isn’t that special. That means a farmer who buys certain GMO seeds can plant all the way to the edge of his property, with Monsanto’s and the USDA’s blessing, contaminate his organic neighbor’s crops, get sued by the poor guy who has now lost his organic certification if anyone actually takes the time to test for GMO contamination and tells the USDA’s National Organics Program (NOP) about it, and both lose because of the loss of crops, time, lawsuit expenses, and judgements.
The ONLY entity that wins is MONSANTO! This pariah of a company just sits back and watches the infighting while tightening the noose around the world’s neck by spreading its filthy GMOs around the planet unabated and aided by the USDA. They’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain, while farmers waste time, go into debt suing each other, and face the real probability of losing their farms and livelihoods. Game over, farmers lose, Monsanto wins. And that’s how you play Monsantopoly.
And if you think you can depend on the Center for Food Safety to come to the rescue, think again. Contamination and USDA deregulation continue at breakneck speed, and the most damning evidence against contamination has not even been entered into the court records. Why? Could it possibly be because this organization is heavily funded by the opposition?
I’ve got an idea! Why not sue the people who made the decision to allow Monsanto to wreak havoc on our food, destroy our health, monopolize the seed industry, and poison the planet along with every living thing on it, personally? Do we really want to fight each other? That is what they would have us do. Anything to distract from the real issue. And that is:
The bastards that decided to allow Monsanto to poison us with no real oversight or regulation need to be held accountable on an individual basis.
You see, the real issue is why are Monsanto and all those responsible for aiding and abetting Monsanto able to walk away from all lawsuits for contamination of crops that they and the USDA say can be planted with little or no boundaries or restrictions whatsoever, while the farmers who swallow the lie bear the brunt of all lawsuits for inevitable contamination?
This is not a victory over Monsanto! This is a victory by Monsanto and the primary agency that supports it, the USDA.
So, tell me again: Just how does pitting farmer against farmer, leaving Monsanto scott free even remotely look like a victory by organics over Monsanto? I really want to know.
© 2011 Barbara H. Peterson
Tags: Barbara H. Peterson, crop contamination, Farm Wars, farmers, farmwars, genetic engineering, GMO, lawsuits, Monopoly, monsanto, Organics
Neko,
Exactly! The contract states that the only compensation a GM farmer can receive from Monsanto due to any liability arising from the use of the company’s seeds is limited to the amount of money used to purchase the seed, or replacement of the seed. There is only one case I know of now that is testing the court system to see if Monsanto can be sued for genetic trespass. As it stands, Monsanto can sue farmers for theft of patented material if their GMOs are found on a non-GMO field. This should be the other way around. Farmers should be suing Monsanto for genetic trespass. Instead, they are left to sue their neighbors, with the real culprits out of the picture.
Correct me if I’m wrong. But these “Cannot sue Monsanto” contracts are an attempt to sign away “Future Liability,” and are therefore not worth the paper they’re printed on.
http://www.pubpat.org/mtdoppfiled.htm.
It is the farmer’s responsibility to educate himself. Not just blindly believe the advice of the Ag agent or pesticide rep, or the gov’t. It’s a far greater responsibility to concern oneself about the poisons they might be feeding others, than taking that chance with one’s own health…and lawsuits prove that.
Now, if that’s what it’s going to take for them to see the light — then, unfortunately, so be it.
I’m all for suing the gov’t agents that allowed this mess. At the very least, getting them out of office. Mostly, they are unelected officials. I’d like to see Monsanto sued into non-existence.
But, the bottom-line responsibility falls on the shoulders of the farmers who chose to be ignorant of the dangers, chose irresponsibility towards their neighbors and customers. Such farmers will be hearing about this lawsuit — the word does spread fast amongst them. It should make them sit up and take notice…maybe do a little homework. Or else.
There is absolutely no logic to such a contract. That’s like saying, I’m going to contract with you to kills someone and you agree to take full responsibility and that would hold me blameless. That’s just plain stupid, not to mention illegal.
Simple: Because we have one of the most corrupt bought off legal systems on the face of the earth.
nullification? County by county nullify the right of farmers to buy GMO seeds and plant them? Give permission to the scherriff to burn alfalfa or other crops holding genetic contamination. ? Is that what nullification is? It sounds like The English territories durring the suspected 2001 hoof and mouth out break that ruined the brittish market for local meat and milk by killing 2,000,000 farm animals. Nullification by county against Chemical and genetic contamination. Undo the courts ruling locally through stock clubs and local legislation against using contaminating chemicals and genetics and those things crossing local arbitrairy borders. .
Duh. Because you need money to pay for lawyers and legal suits that last YEARS.
You are just “spot on” with your article. Sometimes I think the Center for Food Safety is like the whistle on a teakettle–allowing the steam to vent while the water keeps on boiling.
Monsanto is too big to tackle directly. However, if farmers discover that doing business with this vile entity results in their bankruptcy, they will likely cease to buy Monsanto’s products, which indirectly has the desired effect of destroying the company.
I see no problems with the tactic. In a war, you can rarely get ahold of the generals, you have to go after the soldiers until the other side is driven back.
Let me put it this way. Let’s say that I buy a car from a dealership, and that car is advertised as being safe to park next to animals. I then drive my new car and park it right next to a cow, and that cow gets sick due to the fumes from the paint. Who is responsible? Is it me or the company that manufactured the car and advertised it as safe for parking next to animals? If the cow’s owner can only get compensation from me because the manufacturer cannot be sued, and I did not do anything wrong because I believed the manufacturer’s guarantee, where does that leave us????
Farmers who plant Monsanto’s GMOs can be sued if these GMOs “trespass” on an organic farm, and Monsanto can’t. If Monsanto’s GMOs trespass on an organic farm, the organic farmer can be sued by Monsanto…. Kinda sticks in your craw, eh? I’ll get absolutely giddy if anything comes down that actually allows organic farmers to sue Monsanto for illegal “trespass” of genetic material from GMOs instead of the other way around.
Good Morning Barbara:
Exactly–well researched and well written…and now all the pieces put together so carefully by them and their allies places our very food safety and our personal liberties and even survival at risk…
It does speak volumes, though, to their perception of their remaining risk the steps they are taking to ‘protect’ themselves in both directions and even setting up this false remedy…education,boycotts, local actions…all can matter, being of great value to the rest of us, until the planting/certification becomes ‘mandatory’…
Dusty,
If you don’t know by now why it is not a victory to make the farmers pay while leaving the deadhead lazy bastard chemical companies such as Monsanto free and clear of litigation for the damage they do then no amount of reasoning can help you. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind!
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And Monsanto’s goal is to manipulate and patent every strain on the planet…. Hmm who do you think will have the organic originals available to them? Why the criminal selfish filthy self-serving elite!!
☞ http://forum.prisonplanet.com/.....3.5%3Bwap2
Let’s ‘get’ Monsanto. Let’s kill the organization. It’s them or us.
Let’s use local nullification to outlaw GMOS’s as did Hungary.
http://www.reuters.com/article.....7820070115
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/.....728926/pg1
I will also add again, that ‘certified organic’, in my opinion, is a BIG FAT joke (lie) too. There is so much contamination of so many types, the whole question of ‘organic certification’ and meeting ‘set organic standards’ has become ridiculous. It is very arbitrary, with so many things uncontrollable, literally unknown, and therefore certification is convenient and useful mainly for adding to the profit ledgers (fat bank accounts) of the various white collar criminals, ie., bureaucrats.
Seriously people, think about it. We’re lost. The best thing, and really the only thing we can do, is support each other locally and communally and develop black markets. Don’t use chemicals and for god’s sake, don’t plant gmos, but realize the bureaucrats (sissified goons) are in no way any part of the answer.
Thanks!
nedlud
You said it, Barbara. You said it exactly. The kingpins never go down, they always find fall guys, patsies. I live right next to Stearns County, Minnesota and in this case, the ‘organic’ farmer is permitted to sue the local co-op (Paynesville Farmer’s Union) that applied the chemical, but that’s it. It’s a joke (the whole set-up), except nobody should be laughing. Pitting local against local, while the corporate monsters grow ever more powerful and untouchable.
http://www.startribune.com/local/126151483.html