By Charlie Deitz
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-960982.mp3
Massachusetts – Organic Farming groups across the country are banding together to take on the agricultural giant Monsanto, the groups claim that Monsanto is illegally suing small farmers on patent violations. WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief Charlie Deitz reports that while farms in the Northeast aren't directly affected yet, they'll be joining in on the lawsuit as well.
Monsanto is famous for its variety of genetically modified organisms, or in short, GMO's, using technology to create strands of corn and other legumes that can withstand severe weather and don't die after being hit with Monsanto made pesticides. Millions of acres of American farmland use Monsanto seeds, but if some of those seeds travel via wind or on the backs of bugs to a neighboring organic farm, and in turn take root and grow, Monsanto will go after the farmer for patent violation and damages. That's according to a lawsuit being filed by dozens of organic farmers in the case of The Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association V. Monsanto. Jack Kittredge is the Policy Director at Northeast Organic farmers association, or NOFA Massachusetts.
"That contamination is the problem, we don't think the world can't support co-existence."
NOFA recently signed on to the lawsuit, banding together with Midwest farmers, because the USDA recently approved the genetically modified version of alfalfa, a major northeast crop, and a staple in cattle feed. Rural Vermont's executive director Jared Carter says they are joining in too, he explains that organic farmers who end up with GMO seeds growing on their land actually stand to lose money because the crops then become corrupted, and it could take years to get rid of the GMO plants and get back to 100 percent organic.
It's not exactly easy for Monsanto reps to be able to eyeball a cornfield and know whether their seeds are being used, but Kittredge says they employ a few tactics to find out.
"They'll drop some herbicides,if crop is killed then it's organic, if it survives they haul you into court."
We contacted Monsanto to get their perspective, spokesperson Tom Helscher, after reviewing the lawsuit released a series of statements and rebuttals starting with this "It has never been, nor will it be Monsanto policy to exercise its patent rights where trace amounts of our patented seed or traits are present in farmer's fields as a result of inadvertent means." He then explains that millions of farmers worldwide have adopted biotechnology crops because they produce good food at a good rate of return, adding "Plaintiffs' allegations regarding patent validity are contrary to long established legal precedent which supports the validity of Monsanto's patents and others in the biotechnology field." Monsanto calls the suit a publicity stunt, and that the GMO seeds will be needed even more as the earth's population continues to grow. Carter says Rural Vermont joined in on the suit because something needed to be done.
Kittredge says that what makes this suit different from other suits that mainly focused on environmental issues, is it strikes at the core of what makes Monsanto who they are.
"Good legal grounds to say these patents are not valid."
Dan Ravicher of the Public Patent Institute is the lead attorney in the case he says this in a written statement: "Monsanto has made such accusations before and is notorious for having sued hundreds of farmers for patent infringement, so we had to act to protect the interests of our clients."