I don't understand

Can someone please explain to me how Monsanto corp. are able to sue farmers that have planted non Monsanto seed brands that have been pollinated by a neighbors round up ready Monsanto bean, the pollen carries the gene that shows in the bean. why can't the farmer sue Monsanto for contaminating his crop?

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Permalink Reply by John Schwartzentruber on December 17, 2009 at 12:53pm

Because Monsanto has billions of dollars for lawyers and the farmer doesn't. Might makes right, don'tcha know?

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Permalink Reply by Joann on December 17, 2009 at 1:08pm

maybe the following story will help........can we "monopoly"?......the farmers never had a chance.

AP IMPACT: Secret documents detail Monsanto's seed business domination amid antitrust fears

the complete article can be found at:
http://beginningfarmers.org/ap-report-secret-documents-detail-monsa...

"Monsanto’s business strategies and licensing agreements are beinginvestigated by the U.S. Department of Justice and at least two state attorneys general, who are trying to determine if the practices violate U.S. antitrust laws. The practices also are at the heart of civil antitrust suits filed against Monsanto by its competitors, including a 2004 suit filed by Syngenta AG that was settled with an agreement and ongoing litigation filed this summer by DuPont in response to a Monsanto lawsuit."....

"We now believe that Monsanto has control over as much as 90 percent of (seed genetics). This level of control is almost unbelievable," said Neil Harl, agricultural economist at Iowa State University who has studied the seed industry for decades. "The upshot of that is that it's tightening Monsanto's control, and makes it possible for them to increase their prices long term. And we've seen this happening the last five years, and the end is not in sight."

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Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on January 4, 2010 at 9:49am

Good article in the Economist on Monsanto - relatively balanced. Here are the first couple of lines - click on the link to find the whole article... Joe

The Parable of the Sower
from the ECONOMIST Print Magazine

FEW companies excite such extreme emotions as Monsanto. To its critics, the agricultural giant is a corporate hybrid of Victor Frankenstein and Ebenezer Scrooge, using science to create foods that threaten the health of both people and the planet, and intellectual-property laws to squeeze every last penny out of the world’s poor. The list of Monsanto’s sins dates back to when (with other firms) it produced Agent Orange, a herbicide notorious for its use by American forces in Vietnam. Recently “Food Inc”, a documentary film, lambasted the company.

To its admirers, the innovations in seeds pioneered by Monsanto are the world’s best hope of tackling a looming global food crisis. Hugh Grant, the firm’s boss since 2003, says that without the sort of technological breakthroughs Monsanto has achieved the world has no chance of doubling agricultural output by 2050 while using less land and water, as many believe it must. Mr Grant, of course, would say that. But he is not alone. Bill Gates sees Monsanto’s innovations as essential to the agricultural revolution in Africa to which his charitable foundation is committed. Josette Sheeran, the head of the United Nations World Food Programme, is also a fan.

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14904184

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Permalink Reply by rein minnema on January 4, 2010 at 11:19am

nobody tried it yet, that is my understanding
there is a time coming that all the roundup ready crops are weeds
look at it round up ready soya in a roundup ready whet field followed by roundup ready corn

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