Seeds of a Police State
Genetically altered seeds continue to produce as much controversy as they do crops. Canadian farmers claim they are the victim of unwanted cross-pollination and worry that their conventional crops could be contaminated by wind-borne genetic pollution.
February/March 2000
By Richard A. Goldberg
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RICHARD A.GOLDBERG
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Issue # 178 - February/March 2000
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by RICHARD A.GOLDBERG
Genetically altered seeds continue to produce as much controversy as they do crops.
In the latest scene in the ongoing seed soap opera, Canadian grain farmer Percy Schmeiser is headed to court in a landmark lawsuit involving the agrichemical and biotech giant Monsanto Corporation, the same company responsible for the controversial Terminator seed technology (see MEN June/July 1999, "Suicidal Seeds" by Heather Cox). Monsanto has launched a lawsuit against Schmeiser, claiming the 68-year-old farmer illicitly acquired the company's genetically altered Roundup Ready Canola seeds and was using them to produce an unlicensed canola crop on his farmland. Schmeiser denies ever having purchased or planted Monsanto's Roundup seeds, and has responded with a $10 million countersuit.
"The fact that a company can produce and sell GMOs [genetically modified organisms] without any regard for the environment or farmers points to a serious flaw in the system," says Schmeiser.
The seeds in question contain a transplanted gene that makes them resistant to Roundup herbicide, Monsanto's most commercially successful weed killer. By spraying Roundup herbicide on Roundup Ready Canola, farmers can eliminate the weeds in their fields without damaging the genetically modified plants. The result is a weed-free crop that produces higher yields and bigger profits. The number of Canadian farmers growing Roundup Ready Canola has grown to more than 20,000 - up 8,000 from a year ago.
However, Schmeiser's statement of claim against Monsanto (he says he's the victim of unwanted cross-pollination) echoes the concerns of many Canadian farmers who worry that their conventional crops could be contaminated by wind-borne genetic pollution.
