We’re talking about food here. Seeds. The most basic, fundamental building blocks of life possible. Farmers have saved and replanted seed for thousands of years. The farmer here did not save his seed. And the SCOTUS ignores the crux of the problem– the farmer tried to find some cheap generic seed, and he couldn’t. Why not? Because Monsanto and its competitors have, over the span of the past couple of decades, all but eliminated the seed cleaning industry.
The scenario cited in this case is precisely the desired result for Monsanto– someone wants some generic crop seed, none is available, and so the person is forced to buy patented genetically modified seeds from Monsanto. Monsanto has used their government-granted monopoly on genetically modified seed to create a de facto market monopoly on *all* seed.
Every one of IJ’s readers and hopefully also the SCOTUS should be able to understand the inherent perils of a ruling adverse to the farmer. We are creating a legal environment where a paper entity gets to “own” the right to all of the seeds for our core crops. That paper entity pays independent contractors to do stuff like stealthily grab samples from crops coast to coast in an effort to identify who is growing food “without authorization” in a way which infringes on a piece of paper’s “right” to such “intellectual property.” Meanwhile, we use the majority of our domestic corn crop–a crop which itself constitutes a much larger % of our agricultural output than it used to–to make ethanol instead of food.
It is insanity of the highest order, and the SCOTUS needs to step up to the plate and issue a rational and sane decision rather than one which would hand the legal right to grow food to the very same companies that make chemical poisons like herbicides glyphosate (AKA RoundUp), herbicide/defoliant Agent Orange and Teflon.
What a joke, a farmer cannot plant his own seeds anymore. Monsanto has genetically engineered every soy seed and pattented them so they controll 100% of all soybean seed. Some would call that an Monopoly, but the supreme court will rule in favor of Monsanto, the individual over a farmer that has used the same family seed for decades. We are but a shell of the country that we were and greed is the only motivator. Rome is burning.
That is exactly what Monsnto wants. This is only one of Hundreds of cases of Monsanto sueing farmers. Most of the time, when Monsanto sues, they let them off if they agree not to do it again. So the farmer agrees, and Monsanto wins. This farmer deceided to fight. Good for Him!
To understand what has been happening over years – everyone, including our government,justices and real people must read the documentary book “The World According to Monsanto”- Pollution, Corruptionm and the control of our food supply by Marie-Monique Robin.
It’s all about greed for Monsanto and some of our elected officials as well – and NOT about the farmer or the health of the consumer. It is scary to see what control Monsanto already has over our food supply and how GMO’s,are eradicating food as we know it
There can be no adhesion contract that attaches to a third party that was not a party to the initial contract. Monsanto is committing fraud upon the court in their suit. The farmer needs to get a better attorney.
Mon Santo – “Uhhh, I got a fax here Patrick, it comes from Blanche in Morton, IL, says she’s turning 100 today. We just want to wish her a very Happy Birthday!”
We’re talking about food here. Seeds. The most basic, fundamental building blocks of life possible. Farmers have saved and replanted seed for thousands of years. The farmer here did not save his seed. And the SCOTUS ignores the crux of the problem– the farmer tried to find some cheap generic seed, and he couldn’t. Why not? Because Monsanto and its competitors have, over the span of the past couple of decades, all but eliminated the seed cleaning industry.
The scenario cited in this case is precisely the desired result for Monsanto– someone wants some generic crop seed, none is available, and so the person is forced to buy patented genetically modified seeds from Monsanto. Monsanto has used their government-granted monopoly on genetically modified seed to create a de facto market monopoly on *all* seed.
Every one of IJ’s readers and hopefully also the SCOTUS should be able to understand the inherent perils of a ruling adverse to the farmer. We are creating a legal environment where a paper entity gets to “own” the right to all of the seeds for our core crops. That paper entity pays independent contractors to do stuff like stealthily grab samples from crops coast to coast in an effort to identify who is growing food “without authorization” in a way which infringes on a piece of paper’s “right” to such “intellectual property.” Meanwhile, we use the majority of our domestic corn crop–a crop which itself constitutes a much larger % of our agricultural output than it used to–to make ethanol instead of food.
It is insanity of the highest order, and the SCOTUS needs to step up to the plate and issue a rational and sane decision rather than one which would hand the legal right to grow food to the very same companies that make chemical poisons like herbicides glyphosate (AKA RoundUp), herbicide/defoliant Agent Orange and Teflon.
I agree, but we all know how Citizens United turned out.
So, theorectically, if enough cross-pollenization occurs Monsanto can become the sole-owner of all property rights to soy bean seed?
What a joke, a farmer cannot plant his own seeds anymore. Monsanto has genetically engineered every soy seed and pattented them so they controll 100% of all soybean seed. Some would call that an Monopoly, but the supreme court will rule in favor of Monsanto, the individual over a farmer that has used the same family seed for decades. We are but a shell of the country that we were and greed is the only motivator. Rome is burning.
That is exactly what Monsnto wants. This is only one of Hundreds of cases of Monsanto sueing farmers. Most of the time, when Monsanto sues, they let them off if they agree not to do it again. So the farmer agrees, and Monsanto wins. This farmer deceided to fight. Good for Him!
Time to bust the trust.
To understand what has been happening over years – everyone, including our government,justices and real people must read the documentary book “The World According to Monsanto”- Pollution, Corruptionm and the control of our food supply by Marie-Monique Robin.
It’s all about greed for Monsanto and some of our elected officials as well – and NOT about the farmer or the health of the consumer. It is scary to see what control Monsanto already has over our food supply and how GMO’s,are eradicating food as we know it
They don’t want the truth to get out: It’s made of people!
So if I go out to my field, that I rent to a farmer, and grab some soybeans to plant next season, than Monsanto is going to sue ME?
There can be no adhesion contract that attaches to a third party that was not a party to the initial contract. Monsanto is committing fraud upon the court in their suit. The farmer needs to get a better attorney.
Monsanto and Pat Hughes…c’mon Cub fans…
Mon Santo – “Uhhh, I got a fax here Patrick, it comes from Blanche in Morton, IL, says she’s turning 100 today. We just want to wish her a very Happy Birthday!”
Pat Hughes, “That’s right, Mon.”