Failure to Warn: Monsanto v. Dewayne Johnson
After years of spraying, Dewayne Johnson, a groundskeeper, believes the herbicide Roundup, which contains glyphosate, caused him to develop Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare and very painful form of skin cancer. So, he filed a case against Monsanto, the manufacturer of Roundup. Four years later, a jury awarded Mr. Johnson $289 million dollars in damages (recently […]
Heart and Grain: Farmers are matchmakers between land and seed
By Mai Nguyen | There aren’t plenty of fish in the sea of heritage grain, so I started growing out and scaling up the varieties I need. To start, I requested a batch of seed from the USDA germplasm, and they gave me 25 seeds. I have one chance each year to grow them out.
Moving on from Bowman v. Monsanto: Are Courts the Right Place for the Battle Over Seed Patents?
Early last week, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Monsanto in a case that pitted Indiana farmer Vernon Hough Bowman against the agribusiness giant. The Court unanimously held that Bowman violated Monsanto’s patent on genetically modified soybeans when he procured seeds from a grain elevator and used them to plant and select out […]
A “Roundup” of Monsanto in the News
MAY 2013 NEWS UPDATE On Monday, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Monsanto in the Monsanto v. Bowman case. The Court sided with the seed company, writing that Indiana farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman violated patent laws when he purchased soy from a local grain elevator and planted it as a secondary crop without […]
Take a Stand in DC to Challenge Monsanto's Aggression Against Family Farmers
If you’re able to be in Washington, DC tomorrow (Thursday, January 10th), please come out to stand in solidarity with the 30 farmers fighting to defend American agriculture. They will will be appealing their landmark court case challenging Monsanto’s abusive patent infringement lawsuits and could use your support! The assembly will take place at 10 […]