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5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto for $7.7 Billion

readersupportednews.org

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Re: 5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto for $7.7 Billion

#21

Post by AgentConundrum »

stevoski wrote: post #6

This article makes some rather terrible claims. I've never heard of readersupportednews.org before. Are there similar articles in well-known, respectable publications? (Note: I'm not claiming the site is disreputable, I've just never heard of the site and want to read more on sites (on in publications) I know.)

Here's a link from RT.com (Russia Today): https://rt.com/news/monsanto-brazil-seed-soy-908/

I have no idea if they're trustworthy either, but Wikipedia[1] had this to say about them:

> RT is the second most-watched foreign news channel in the United States, after BBC News and the first most-watched news channel worldwide.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT_%28TV_network%29

Re: 5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto for $7.7 Billion

#22

Post by knieveltech »

Tichy wrote: post #15
va_coder wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's my understanding Monsanto isn't a company that relies on free markets. They use lawyers heavily. If their seeds blow from a customer's farm to a non customer's farm and the non customer doesn't actively try to remove the Monsanto seeds, they sue. They are like the seed mafia.

And do they win such claims? Seems to me the farmer whose field was polluted should be able sue for damages instead?

Your average farmer doesn't have the resources required to field a lawsuit against a multi-national company.

Re: 5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto for $7.7 Billion

#24

Post by andyjohnson0 »

stevoski wrote: post #6

This article makes some rather terrible claims. I've never heard of readersupportednews.org before. Are there similar articles in well-known, respectable publications? (Note: I'm not claiming the site is disreputable, I've just never heard of the site and want to read more on sites (on in publications) I know.)

Monsanto: The parable of the sower http://www.economist.com/node/14904184

Re: 5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto for $7.7 Billion

#25

Post by EthanHeilman »

stevoski wrote: post #16
va_coder wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's my understanding Monsanto isn't a company that relies on free markets. They use lawyers heavily. If their seeds blow from a customer's farm to a non customer's farm and the non customer doesn't actively try to remove the Monsanto seeds, they sue. They are like the seed mafia.

"If their seeds blow from a customer's farm to a non customer's farm and the non customer doesn't actively try to remove the Monsanto seeds, they sue" Got a source for that claim? There's an article on huffington post which conflicts with the claim: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/monsanto-lawsuit-or...

"The Runyons say they signed no agreements, and if they were contaminated with the genetically modified seed, it blew over from a neighboring farm.

"Pollination occurs, wind drift occurs. There's just no way to keep their products from landing in our fields," David said.

"What Monsanto is doing across the country is often, and according to farmers, trespassing even, on their land, examining their crops and trying to find some of their patented crops," said Andrew Kimbrell, with the Center For Food Safety. "And if they do, they sue those farmers for their entire crop." "

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18563_162-4048288.html

Re: 5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto for $7.7 Billion

#26

Post by smackay »

stevoski wrote: post #16
va_coder wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's my understanding Monsanto isn't a company that relies on free markets. They use lawyers heavily. If their seeds blow from a customer's farm to a non customer's farm and the non customer doesn't actively try to remove the Monsanto seeds, they sue. They are like the seed mafia.

"If their seeds blow from a customer's farm to a non customer's farm and the non customer doesn't actively try to remove the Monsanto seeds, they sue" Got a source for that claim? There's an article on huffington post which conflicts with the claim: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/monsanto-lawsuit-or...

Just enter "monsanto sues farmer" into your favourite search engine. The wealth of results, mostly partisan in nature however, would suggest that this is a significant issue.

Re: 5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto for $7.7 Billion

#27

Post by EvilTerran »

latch wrote: post #8

This may be naive, but why isn't the market protecting farmers? Are subsidies involved? Why don't they just use normal seeds or other seeds? Weren't these limitations known ahead of time? Why did the farmers make a deal with the devil? Why can't they switch back?

I recall reading (can't remember where, I'm afraid) of instances of Monsanto buying up competing seed stocks and destroying them.

Monopoly, in other words.

Re: 5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto for $7.7 Billion

#28

Post by flyinRyan »

latch wrote: post #8

This may be naive, but why isn't the market protecting farmers? Are subsidies involved? Why don't they just use normal seeds or other seeds? Weren't these limitations known ahead of time? Why did the farmers make a deal with the devil? Why can't they switch back?

Because the market isn't rational. Often it will choose cheap over sensible. This is one of those cases. What Monsanto offers is very cheap. It hasn't been demonstrated to be safe by any independent studies and the company itself is a nightmare to work with but it's cheap. Sometimes that trumps all.

Re: 5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto for $7.7 Billion

#29

Post by crikli »

The claims made in this article, Food Inc., and other pieces of agitprop are not based in reality.

I'm part of a fifth generation farm family. We've been working the same ground for over 100 years (that's sustainability in practice) and I'm here to tell you that nobody is killing themselves. Especially with $6 corn. Monsanto is not the enemy of the family farm.

I'll elaborate when I have more time and a device other than my iPad as I know I need to provide more than this here on HN. :)

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