http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/1...IL20130514

Quote:


By Carey Gillam

Tue May 14, 2013 9:05am EDT

(Reuters) - U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for overseas lobbying that promotes controversial biotech crops developed by U.S.-based Monsanto Co and other seed makers, a report issued on Tuesday said.

A review of 926 diplomatic cables of correspondence to and from the U.S. State Department and embassies in more than 100 countries found that State Department officials actively promoted the commercialization of specific biotech seeds, according to the report issued by Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer protection group.

The officials tried to quash public criticism of particular companies and facilitated negotiations between foreign governments and seed companies such as Monsanto over issues like patents and intellectual property, the report said.

The cables show U.S. diplomats supporting Monsanto, the world's largest seed company, in foreign countries even after it paid $1.5 million in fines after being charged with bribing an Indonesian official and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in 2005.

One 2009 cable shows the embassy in Spain seeking "high-level U.S. government intervention" at the "urgent request" of Monsanto to combat biotech crop opponents there, according to the Food & Water Watch report.

The report covered cables from 2005-2009 that were released by Wikileaks in 2010 as part of a much larger release by Wikileaks of a range of diplomatic cables it obtained.

Monsanto spokesman Tom Helscher said Monsanto believes it is critical to maintain an open dialogue with government authorities and trade groups in other countries.

"We remain committed to sharing information so that individuals can better understand our business and our commitments to support farmers throughout the world as they work to meet the agriculture demands of our world's growing population," he said.

State Department officials had no immediate comment when contacted about the report.

Food & Water Watch said the cables it examined provide a detailed account of how far the State Department goes to support and promote the interests of the agricultural biotech industry, which has had a hard time gaining acceptance in many foreign markets.

"It really goes beyond promoting the U.S.'s biotech industry and agriculture," said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. "It really gets down to twisting the arms of countries and working to undermine local democratic movements that may be opposed to biotech crops, and pressuring foreign governments to also reduce the oversight of biotech crops."

But U.S. officials, Monsanto and many other companies and industry experts routinely say that biotech crops are needed around the world to increase global food production as population expands. They maintain that the crops are safe and make farming easier and more environmentally sustainable.

PROMOTION THROUGH PAMPHLETS, DVDs?

The cables show that State Department officials directed embassies to "troubleshoot problematic legislation" that might hinder biotech crop development and to "encourage the development and commercialization of ag-biotech products".

The State Department also produced pamphlets in Slovenia promoting biotech crops, sent pro-biotech DVDs to high schools in Hong Kong and helped bring foreign officials and media from 17 countries to the United States to promote biotech agriculture, Food & Water Watch said.

Genetically altered crops are widely used in the United States. Crops spliced with DNA from other species are designed to resist pests and tolerate chemical applications, and since their introduction in the mid 1990s have come to dominate millions of acres of U.S. farmland.

Enough to make a libs head explode.

Heard a lawsuit case the other day involving Monsanto. Apparently a man bought seeds for genetically altered soy beans from them. He planted them and used their seeds to plant again the next crop season. Monsanto sued him and won something like $80k. The judge granted them the win because they owned the rights to the altered genes. I get it...but I don't at the same time.

(05-31-2013 12:14 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Heard a lawsuit case the other day involving Monsanto. Apparently a man bought seeds for genetically altered soy beans from them. He planted them and used their seeds to plant again the next crop season. Monsanto sued him and won something like $80k. The judge granted them the win because they owned the rights to the altered genes. I get it...but I don't at the same time.

I get why the court ruled in favor of Monsanto. What Monsanto doesn't get is that more and more nations are growing weary of genetically altered foods. Some have banned them or cancelled US orders for that very reason. That catches on and Monsanto's bottom line will feel the consequences.

(05-31-2013 12:14 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Heard a lawsuit case the other day involving Monsanto. Apparently a man bought seeds for genetically altered soy beans from them. He planted them and used their seeds to plant again the next crop season. Monsanto sued him and won something like $80k. The judge granted them the win because they owned the rights to the altered genes. I get it...but I don't at the same time.

Yes - Monsanto aggressively protects their patent on Roundup Ready soybeans.

In the example above, the farmer seems to know exactly what he was doing, because planting RRS comes with a big disclaimer that the farmer cannot save seeds for replanting.

It is strong armed? Yes. But did the farmer sign a contract? Yes.

Here is where it gets sticky. I understand that Monsanto will collect samples of soybeans in fields, and test them for RRS. Even if the farmer is not planting RRS, and the vast majority of his seed crop is non-RRS, but RRS seeds somehow get into his field he will get sued. This happens a lot with farmers who plant RRS one season, but don't plant RRS the next season but some RRS plants still sprout.

Quote: I understand that Monsanto will collect samples of soybeans in fields

Curious about what gives them the right to trespass on my property and collect samples?

Their products must be cheap else one would think farmers wouldn't put up with this and go with someone where they could actually replant seeds.

(05-31-2013 12:38 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 12:14 PM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  Heard a lawsuit case the other day involving Monsanto. Apparently a man bought seeds for genetically altered soy beans from them. He planted them and used their seeds to plant again the next crop season. Monsanto sued him and won something like $80k. The judge granted them the win because they owned the rights to the altered genes. I get it...but I don't at the same time.

Yes - Monsanto aggressively protects their patent on Roundup Ready soybeans.

In the example above, the farmer seems to know exactly what he was doing, because planting RRS comes with a big disclaimer that the farmer cannot save seeds for replanting.

It is strong armed? Yes. But did the farmer sign a contract? Yes.

Here is where it gets sticky. I understand that Monsanto will collect samples of soybeans in fields, and test them for RRS. Even if the farmer is not planting RRS, and the vast majority of his seed crop is non-RRS, but RRS seeds somehow get into his field he will get sued. This happens a lot with farmers who plant RRS one season, but don't plant RRS the next season but some RRS plants still sprout.

I wonder how long his contract is for

(05-31-2013 12:49 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

Quote: I understand that Monsanto will collect samples of soybeans in fields

Curious about what gives them the right to trespass on my property and collect samples?

That's a mighty fine question.

(05-31-2013 01:41 PM)VA49er Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 12:49 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

Quote: I understand that Monsanto will collect samples of soybeans in fields

Curious about what gives them the right to trespass on my property and collect samples?

That's a mighty fine question.

If that is true, maybe it is part of the contract you sign for the license. I don't know if you actually "own" the seed, or if you are just granted a license to grow them.

(05-31-2013 02:18 PM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 01:41 PM)VA49er Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 12:49 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

Quote: I understand that Monsanto will collect samples of soybeans in fields

Curious about what gives them the right to trespass on my property and collect samples?

That's a mighty fine question.

If that is true, maybe it is part of the contract you sign for the license. I don't know if you actually "own" the seed, or if you are just granted a license to grow them.

Perhaps I don't own the seed, but I own my property and you can't come on it without my permission.

(05-31-2013 02:22 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 02:18 PM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 01:41 PM)VA49er Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 12:49 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  

Quote: I understand that Monsanto will collect samples of soybeans in fields

Curious about what gives them the right to trespass on my property and collect samples?

That's a mighty fine question.

If that is true, maybe it is part of the contract you sign for the license. I don't know if you actually "own" the seed, or if you are just granted a license to grow them.

Perhaps I don't own the seed, but I own my property and you can't come on it without my permission.

My guess is that Monsanto has the legal weight to fight you to bankruptcy if you took them to court for trespassing. AKA floors and floors and lawyers.

Going from hearsay, they'll either trespass, collect soybean samples close to your property (say growing on the right of way) or sample your final product when it goes to silo or to market.

(05-31-2013 12:49 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  Their products must be cheap else one would think farmers wouldn't put up with this and go with someone where they could actually replant seeds.

RRS is cheap(er) than say organic soybean, but the attractiveness of RRS is it's resistance to pesticide. What pesticide you ask? Well, Monsanto's Roundup!

Quite brilliant.