Monsanto Suing Farmers Over Piracy Issues

[housewolf]

Monsanto Suing Farmers Over Piracy Issues

Thursday, January 13, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO - Monsanto Co.'s "seed police" snared soy farmer Homan McFarling in 1999, and the company is demanding he pay it hundreds of thousands of dollars for alleged technology piracy. McFarling's sin? He saved seed from one harvest and replanted it the following season, a revered and ancient agricultural practice.

"My daddy saved seed. I saved seed," said McFarling, 62, who still grows soy on the 5,000 acre family farm in Shannon, Miss. and is fighting the agribusiness giant in court.

Saving Monsanto's seeds, genetically engineered to kill bugs and resist weed sprays, violates provisions of the company's contracts with farmers.

Since 1997, Monsanto has filed similar lawsuits 90 times in 25 states against 147 farmers and 39 agriculture companies, according to a report issued Thursday by The Center for Food Safety, a biotechnology foe.

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http://home.peoplepc.com/psp/newsstory.asp?cat=news&referrer=welcome&id=20050113/41e60050_3ca6_15526200501131585117613

[Lone_Star_Dem]

1. Monsanto Co. = loss of biodiversity

And, loss of pure and indigenous seeds. Due to the cross pollination from their plants eventually there will be little to no pure seed stock left.

Farmers should boycott all GE seeds if the know what's good for their futures. Sadly, while many have come to learn that their initial claims of bigger yield, more nutrition, and less chemicals. Have all been proven to be false. Many still haven't had that awakening yet.

The man mentioned above would've been further ahead to burn the seeds he gathered and start over fresh.

What he's doing now is paying the price for signing a contract with the devil.

[Catchawave]

2. "Millions Against Monsanto"

http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html

Great info on Monsanto!