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Monsanto's Many Attempts to Destroy All Seeds but Their Own
FoodConsumer.org ^ | Feb 17, 2009

Posted on 03/07/2009 10:39:24 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

Some say that if farmers don’t want problems from Monsanto, the simply shouldn’t buy Monsanto’s GMO seeds. But it isn’t quite that simple. Monsanto contaminates the fields, trespasses onto the land taking samples, and then sues, saying they own the crop.

Meanwhile, Monsanto is taking many other steps to keep farmers and everyone else from having any access at all to buying, collecting, and saving of normal seeds:

1.  They’ve bought up the seed companies across the Midwest.

2.  They’ve written Monsanto seed laws and gotten legislators to put them through, that make cleaning, collecting and storing of seeds so onerous in terms of fees and paperwork that having normal seed becomes almost impossible.


3.  Monsanto is pushing  laws that ensure that farmers and citizens can’t block the planting of GMO crops even if they can contaminate other crops.

4.  There are Monsanto regulations buried in the FDA rules that make a farmer’s seed cleaning equipment illegal because it’s now considered a “source of seed contamination.”

Monsanto has sued more than 1500 farmers whose fields had simply been contaminated by GM crops.

Sources:

  Surviving the Middle Class Crash February 5, 2009


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: agenda21; brownfield; derrybrownfield; foodnazis; monsanto; nais; nonais
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To: gondramB
You are absolutely correct. This is a leftie Greenpeace movement , I am surprised that any real conservative would be fooled by this junk. It is simply an attempt to ban GM foods.

Right now Greenpeace has two of these guys on a tour of Australia (which is gradually introducing GM crops), with the farmer trying to tell the farmers here they get lower yields and they can't reuse the seeds. Farmers don't reuse the seeds anyway.

You are not forced to buy Monsanto seeds anyway.

41 posted on 03/07/2009 12:37:46 PM PST by Aussiebabe
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To: WestwardHo
So? That doesn't make it any less true. You can always do searches to find out more about it if you don't like the source.

Actually I would because this goes way beyond just the GMO aspect.

42 posted on 03/07/2009 12:37:57 PM PST by CARDINALRULES (Tough times never last -Tough people do. DK57 -- 6-22-02)
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To: elk
What do mean “even libs” —this is a far left Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth movement, as is the author of this article. I am really surprised how many Freeper “conservatives” are falling for this “evil corporation” stuff. Are you guys really secret Obama supporters, because this thread reads like something on the leftie blog site?
43 posted on 03/07/2009 12:42:34 PM PST by Aussiebabe
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To: Iowa Granny

Your post is Bull Punky. Why would anyone want to steal hybrid seeds that they CAN’T save “from one year to the next,” as you put it? That’s not happening here. Instead, as was stated by the OP, Monsanto is contaminating fields and then suing for theft, and changing laws to support their suits even if the wind blows their GM hybrid crops elsewhere. Thousands of innocent farmers have been sued and intimidated into buying Monsanto’s products because of these bogus legal threats they can’t afford to fight.

And it’s a big enough problem that any Iowa Granny would know this without having to be told.


44 posted on 03/07/2009 12:43:46 PM PST by Talisker (When you find a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be damn sure it didn't get there on it's own.)
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To: CARDINALRULES
Are you a member of Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, or another one of these anti-GM groups? You sound just like the Greenpeace spokespeople I have heard.
45 posted on 03/07/2009 12:45:09 PM PST by Aussiebabe
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To: STARWISE

The use of confusing terminology and governmenteze speak is deliberately designed to obfuscate their true intent.


46 posted on 03/07/2009 12:46:15 PM PST by topsail
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To: outinyellowdogcountry

Yeah, farmers “used to routinely catch seed from their own crops” —yeah about 70 years ago before hybrids were developed (even before GM seeds).


47 posted on 03/07/2009 12:50:42 PM PST by Aussiebabe
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To: gondramB
"My starting suspicion is that the author is mainly opposed to genetically modified foods but I’m open to evidence."

Exactly. I'm not saying I love Monsanto. We own a family farm and know Monsanto quite well ... some good, some bad, some neutral.

48 posted on 03/07/2009 12:51:27 PM PST by JustaDumbBlonde (America: Home of the Free Because of the Brave)
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To: AuntB; wagglebee; little jeremiah

This is damned ominous. Too bad that A. Pole isn’t still on FR, as he’d have plenty of memorable things to say about this.


49 posted on 03/07/2009 12:52:09 PM PST by Clintonfatigued (Being condemned for corruption by Mexico is like being lectured on morals by the adult film industy)
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To: Talisker

Why are you spewing all this Greenpeace nonsense.


50 posted on 03/07/2009 12:53:53 PM PST by Aussiebabe
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To: topsail

It’s a stealth attempt to control the food supply by restricting access to the seeds.

If they own the patents for the hybred seeds and influence, or pay off, legislators to pass laws that restrict or forbid planting of heirloom variety seeds, then Monsanto and other agricorporations can control food production.

Think using food as a political weapon ! It is being done today in Africa.
_____________________
BINGO!!!


51 posted on 03/07/2009 12:57:00 PM PST by mojitojoe ( Idiots elected a Marxist ideologue with narcissistic personality disorder & America is dying.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Let's be honest here, you and I both know that this website is dedicated to banning GM crops and is heavily supported by Greenpeace and the other wacky far leftie groups that hate Monsanto.
52 posted on 03/07/2009 12:57:49 PM PST by Aussiebabe
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To: Talisker
"Thousands of innocent farmers have been sued and intimidated into buying Monsanto’s products because of these bogus legal threats they can’t afford to fight."

Where can I find this information? If a farmer has planted his field with purchased seed, all he/she need do is present the receipt for the seed that they planted. I know of no farmer that has been intimidated into buying Monsanto products due to legal threats. Around these parts, the seed companies beg for business ... not try to intimidate their way in the door.

53 posted on 03/07/2009 1:03:42 PM PST by JustaDumbBlonde (America: Home of the Free Because of the Brave)
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To: Aussiebabe
Whoa -- hold on. Do some homework on the food issue. Really do some research.

Read Joel Salatin - of Polyface Farms, in Swoope, Virginia. He ain't no lefty, but, he isn't some RINO. He pulls no punches with both political parties, when they infringe on food freedom.

When the ATF and state Ag departments start doing SWAT-like violent raids on peaceful farms based on spurious alleged infringements or even entrapment, even the Inside-the-Beltway libs get riled -- because their clean, healthy food supply is endangered. (Look up the Ohio family, and the Pennsylvania farmer who were raided -- eerily Soviet-like). Libs up in Montgomery County, MD, were holding legal fund fundraisers for the PA farmer -- they knew it was over-the-line and tyrannical, and cut them off from supplies of reliable, quality food. These weren't conservatives putting their money where their mouths were, for this farmer, but libs!

This is serious stuff. Now, I can't say I forgive these jerks for putting Obama in power, but they at least understand the importance of food.

Lefties and righties or whatever CAN agree that freedom is a good thing -- the food issue hits close to home. You can live without the cheap Chinese goods, and even without European cars, but you can't live without food, when I last checked.

Take a look down your grocery store aisle. Look at the ingredients. Tell me how much of it is healthy, reasonable and fit for consumption.

Yes, I've done some homework, and I've watched the "lefty" documentaries on food, water, corporations, walmart, etc. No, I don't buy everything folks are selling (e.g., Greenpeace, PETA, etc.), and I see their biases, but pay attention to what's going on, whether deliberate or accidental, and see how much "food freedom" you have, and how quickly it can be taken away.

I would encourage you to do some homework!

54 posted on 03/07/2009 1:06:17 PM PST by elk ((A Member of the Silent 58)TM)
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To: Aussiebabe
It is simply an attempt to ban GM foods.... Farmers don't reuse the seeds anyway... I am really surprised how many Freeper “conservatives” are falling for this “evil corporation” stuff.

Aren't big paintbrushes exciting? "Banning GM seeds," "Evil Corporations." Black versus white, up versus down, who's side are you on, anyway? What fun.

Back in the real conservative world, however, behavior counts. And when people use a corporation to do evil, it becomes... an evil corporation. Like one that legally forces hybrid seed use, and legally attacks heirloom seed re-use (you ARE aware that GM hybrid seeds CAN'T be "re-used," because they are HYBRID? Then WHY did you try to get away with saying "farmers don't reuse the seeds anyway"? Talk about dishonesty!).

And when genetic modification (a concept as vast as the number of potential genome mixtures themselves) are used in species crossings found worrisome by significant percentages of scientists in relevant fields, are then legalized without even validating test protocols (let alone actually testing them as would be required for the creation of a drug, which GM seed patents try to emulate) then "GM seeds," under such conditions, SHOULD be banned until they are shown to be harmless. Just like patented drugs.

After all, the GM argument is nothing less than that billions of people should be banned from having any legal remedy against having to eat the stuff, and be REQUIRED to feed their families and children with it. Here in America, we call that an "important issue."

These are well established issues in this country, Aussiebabe. Maybe Australia should treat them with just a little bit more sophistication then the half-witted baiting and mocking that you are displaying on behalf of your country.

Unless, of course, that's exactly what you intended to do all along.

55 posted on 03/07/2009 1:08:20 PM PST by Talisker (When you find a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be damn sure it didn't get there on it's own.)
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To: Iowa Granny
Anyone who wants to save seed from one year to the next simply purchases Non-Patented seed. They can save seed from this seedstock into infinity. I am not a big fan of Monsanto. But neither am I a fan of those who want to hijack technology someone else has paid for, without paying a user fee.

Corn is wind pollinated. Anyone who does saves their own seed from year to year, whose nieghbors plant Monsanto seed, will eventually wind up with a great deal of Monsanto DNA in their seed. Then they will be sued for attempting to, as you say hijack technology someone else has paid for, without paying a user fee.

This is just like copywrite on music. Yes, producers should be protected. But as the law now stands, if you shoot a video of a birthday party at a retaurant, with occasionally audible background music, an out of tune rendition of Happy Birthday to You, and in a few shots art work hanging on the retaurant walls can be glimpsed in the background, then email it to a few friends, you are subject to millions of dollars in liability for copywrite violations.

56 posted on 03/07/2009 1:10:40 PM PST by Pilsner
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To: Aussiebabe
Nope.

Bet you won't bother to go listen to any of the Derry Brownfield shows about this so you won't know why exactly I dislike Monsanto.

Guess you have no problem with a monopoly. True farmers don't have to buy their seeds - of course when their neighbors use it and the winds blow and contaminate their fields it doesn't really matter.

Like I said this isn't just about gmo foods - it was for the source used for this article - but I also said to find other sources about this subject.

BTW - I don't have any strong feelings about gmo foods either way - just have a problem with the thug tactics of Monsanto and others.

Why would conservatives be against this? Monsanto is using the government against farmers.

57 posted on 03/07/2009 1:11:05 PM PST by CARDINALRULES (Tough times never last -Tough people do. DK57 -- 6-22-02)
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To: hermgem

>>>Why is it so harmful to protect seed patent” and let others just take it for free.

As I understand it, think of this scenario (played out in Monsanto lawsuits):

Farmer plants some crop, say corn. Farmer next door plants Monsanto GM corn. Next year, Monsanto field auditor comes by and finds (illegally entering your property) that some of your corn carries their patented genetic markers. Monsanto sues you. You are then forced to buy their corn or else pay up big fines.

That’s what I understand is the issue.

No ones stealing their patents, the nature of the probem causes them to be shared. It’s up the victimized farmers to police their fields.

If true, and I think this was exactly the case in a lawsuit in Canada (might have been with wheat), then Monsanto must lose the ability to patent genetics that can’t be controlled.

God should be sued for creating the wind that carried the markers. I don’t think he’s shown up yet in any court case.


58 posted on 03/07/2009 1:16:18 PM PST by Hop A Long Cassidy
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To: Aussiebabe
I don't know that.

And if you doubt that, look at how long I've been here and a sampling of my posts.

What I do resent is a complete discounting of information based solely upon its source.

If it's wrong, it should be simple to refute.

You aren't one of those people who believes that anything that doesn't come from the New York Times or the lips of Katie Couric is suspect, are you?

59 posted on 03/07/2009 1:19:02 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum ("Only after disaster can we be resurrected." -- Tyler Durden)
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To: Gabz

Garden ping time.


60 posted on 03/07/2009 1:22:48 PM PST by Arrowhead1952 (It took almost 250 years to make the USA great and 30 days for BO to tear it down.)
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