Letter to biweekly Vancouver
[BC] Courier & published Dec. 28/03
Once again a Monsanto spin doctor demonstrates a passing acquaintance with
the facts in the Schmeiser/Monsanto seed patent case (Farmer not so
innocent, Courier, December 22/03). During Saskatchewan farmer Percy
Schmeiser's trial it was admitted in Canada's Federal court that Mr.
Schmeiser had neither purchased, borrowed, stolen or other wise illegally
obtained Monsanto's genetically modified herbicide tolerant Round Up Ready
canola seed. Furthermore, it was well established that the greatest
concentration of Monsanto's GM round up ready canola was in the gutters
along the roads that perimeter Schmeiser's farm. A very small amount of GM
round up ready canola was found in Schmeiser's fields. The former could
only have come from Monsanto's GM canola seed carelessly spilled from
trucks delivering seed to other canola farmers in the area while the field
contamination would have to be from seed and pollen wind drift. As far as
the Federal court was concerned all of this was irrelevant to the fact
there was some of Monsanto's GM canola in and around Mr. Schmeiser's fields.
What would the spin doctors have to say if a special kind of patented
manure was accidentally dumped on their front porches, contaminating house
and property and the patent law allows the owner of this fertilizer act as
the injured party to sue and win in court big time while at the same
putting their homes and fortunes forfeit? This is essentially what happened
to Percy Schmeiser at the hands of Monsanto and its misuse of Canadian
patent law. What sort of justice is there when a man's land is trespassed
and contaminated but as the injured party he has to pay the price?
The problem in the Schmeiser/Monsanto case is that the federal court
justices who heard the case appeal were too timid to strike down a flawed
patent law passed by a parliament that failed to take into account such
unintended and avoidable consequences suffered by Percy Schmeiser and other
Canadian farmers. Monsanto cannot prevent GM seed and pollen contamination
of other non GM crops.
Croft Woodruff
6262 A Fraser Street
Vancouver BC V5W 3A1
604 327 3889
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