Agricultural Giant Battles Small Farmers

Monsanto Goes To Great Lengths To Protect Its Patents On Genetically Modified Crops

(CBS)  American farmers have been growing genetically modified crops for years, from seeds engineered to resist pests and chemicals. These patented seeds produced bigger crops and profits for farmers who bought them from companies like DuPont and Monsanto, but for other farmers the seeds have created a host of problems. CBS News Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian has been investigating.

---

David Runyon and his wife Dawn put a lifetime of work into their 900-acre Indiana farm, and almost lost it all over a seed they say they never planted.

"I don't believe any company has the right to come into someone's home and threaten their livelihood," Dawn said, "to bring them into such physical turmoil as this company did to us."

The Runyons charge bio-tech giant Monsanto sent investigators to their home unannounced, demanded years of farming records, and later threatened to sue them for patent infringement. The Runyons say an anonymous tip led Monsanto to suspect that genetically modified soybeans were growing on their property.

"I wasn't using their products, but yet they were pounding on my door demanding information, demanding records," Dave said. "It was just plain harassment is what they were doing."

Today, Monsanto's patented "Round-up Ready" soy commands the lion's share of the genetically-modified soybean seed market, its genetic code manipulated to withstand the company's popular weed killer.

But the promise of fewer weeds and greater production comes with a hefty fee. Farmers must sign an iron-clad agreement not to re-plant the harvested seed, or face serious legal consequences - up to $3 million in damages.

"It's about protecting the patent, defending the patents, so farmers have the protection and can use these technologies over time," said Monsanto spokeswoman Tami Craig Schilling.

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."

In fact, in Feb. 2005 the Runyons received a letter from Monsanto, citing "an agreement" with the Indiana Department of Agriculture giving it the right to come on their land and test for seed contamination.

Only one problem: The Indiana Department of Agriculture didn't exist until two months after that letter was sent. What does that say to you?

"I'm not aware of the specific situation in Indiana," Schilling said.

"I'm just talking in general terms," said Keteyian. "Would Monsanto lie, deceive, intimidate, harass American farmers to protect its patents?"

"With farmers as customers I would say that is not our policy by any means."

74-year-old Mo Parr is a seed cleaner; he is hired by farmers to separate debris from the seed to be replanted. Monsanto sued him claiming he was "aiding and abetting" farmers, helping them to violate the patent.

"There's no way that I could be held responsible," Parr said. "There's no way that I could look at a soy bean and tell you if it's Round-up Ready."

The company subpoenaed Parr's bank records, without his knowledge, and found his customers. After receiving calls from Monsanto, some of them stopped talking to him.

"It really broke my heart," Parr said. "You know, I could hardly hold a cup of coffee that morning,"

Monsanto won its case against Parr, but the company, which won't comment on specific cases, has stopped its legal action against the Runyons.

And now four states, including Indiana, prohibit seed suppliers from entering a farmer's property without a state agent, tactics which have threatened a way of life.


For more information, visit the Web sites of Monsanto and The Center for Food Safety.

[albertjaynockiv]

bleem3 Your antisemitism reeks to high heaven. But even if you are right, which I am doubtful of, many Jews including many in my family would I'm sure be glad to see God choose this company and its officers to be on the receiving end of a lawsuit and lose the suit.

Antisemitism is nasty but good Jews are opposed to unbridled greed. Ask any Jew who lost money to Bernie Madoff and there are many, many of them. May he rot in prison for life. Such behavior, whether by Madoff or others (I doubt your conclusion about Monsanto is correct) is unseemly and not representative of Jews as a group. But your antisemitism is just as despicable as your kind of thinking ultimately led to the holocaust of the 20th century.

[albertjaynockiv]

I don't understand why they can enter a farmers property even with a state agent without a search warrant. Does the fourth amendment not apply to farmers? Or did farmers sign away their fourth amendment rights at some stage in the last 230 years or so that I didn't hear about?

I think that would be a constitutional violation particularly when the state engages with the corporate actor in entering a farmers property. Are the four states mentioned including Indiana going to find themselves on the end of a suit for violating the fourth amendment rights of farmers. I suspect that it will happen sooner if not later.

[sstjames]

In the article, CBS quotes

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

It is unfortunate that CBS neglected to report the likelihood of cross pollination has been studied extensively.

"Cross pollination is less than one percent, often substantially so, (Carlson and Lersten, 1987; Dzikowski, 1936; McGregor, 1976). "

Taken from :http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/soybean.html

[sstjames]

In the article, CBS quotes

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

It is unfortunate that CBS neglected to report the likelihood of cross pollination has been studied extensively.

"Cross pollination is less than one percent, often substantially so, (Carlson and Lersten, 1987; Dzikowski, 1936; McGregor, 1976). "

Taken from :http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/soybean.html

[frankbowers]

I read a line or two up above one stated it would be their army to protect the big chemical companies. He is correct to a point but the truth be known it will be the politicians in DC and each state that protects the chemical companies the politicians will be on guard 24 - 7 to protect their retirement checks and seed money to get relected to do so and tohellwith the american farmers who do not roll over to them. THE SAD FACT AS SEEN BY A 70 OLD MAN WHO IS HAPPY HE IS NOT GOING TO BE HERE ANOTHER 70 TO WATCH THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR NATION BY THE LAWYERS AND POLITICIANS WE CONTINUE TO ELECT EITHER BY VOTE OR THE SUPREME COURT AS IN 2000. FRANK BOWERS OF AUSTIN, TX

[drinuk]

If comments regarding the Amish are correct then Monsanto will have seriously over stepped the mark. I admire them highly and would be absolutely incensed if their way of life and their freedoms were to be offended. Are there no depths to which this Mafia will not stoop. When we re-visit the pre war depression, which we are surely heading for, those Monsanto stockholders will be lining up begging for food at Amish settlements. Be sure of one fact, the Lord will no repay his debt with money.

[johnstossel]

I believe it''s time for Neil Young to write a song about this. Neil?

[drinuk]

Cont. There is another pain in the azz whose hands are dirty with regard to to this subject and he is the "Saviour" AL GORE, he is in this up to his bloody ears. It is all about Global Government and having control of the worlds resources.

[drinuk]

Right now folks around the world are wondering why their food bills have gone through the roof. Well! look no further than B A S T A R D S like Monsanto and those in Washington who are in bed with them. This sort of corruption is going on all over the world with Chemical and Pharmaceutical companies to the forefront.

Ask yourself how would You deal with a terrorist ? because make no mistake these organizations and those in your government who support them are far, far worse than Bin Laden. The answer is simple, you take them out ! If those in government will not do it, then the people must, anyway possible, at their plants, their HQ or even their homes. We are taking life and death her, they are scum who have no right to this world.

[termtex01]

"It''''s written in the books of revelation...those who do not have the mark of the beast will not get food...

Posted by truthalways at 11:37 PM : Apr 27, 2008"

Really? Care to point out the chapter and verse? I searched for references to ''food'' and ''eat'', this is all I found:

"Revelation 2:14 - But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality.

Revelation 2:20 - But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jez''ebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. "

[termtex01]

"Monsanto is the creator of Agent Orange and Napalm.

Posted by stevador39 at 10:25 PM : Apr 27, 2008"

Maybe you could do a little research next time, slick.

http://www.dow.com/commitments/debates/agentorange/index.htm
"Companies supplying Agent Orange to the government included The Dow Chemical Company, Monsanto Company, Hercules Inc., Diamond Shamrock Chemicals Company, Uniroyal Inc., Thompson Chemical and T-H Agriculture and Nutrition Company."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dow_Chemical_Company
"During the Vietnam War, Dow became the sole supplier of napalm to the United States military."

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1859.html
"During World War II, Harvard University researchers, led by Dr. Louis Fieser, discovered that mixing rubber with gasoline made it a longer-burning product.

Rubber, however, was scarce at the time, so they had to find some other ingredient. They eventually mixed aluminum soap powder with gasoline (among other chemicals) to produce an extremely long-burning substance. The thickener turns the mixture into a thick jelly that flows under pressure and sticks to a target as it burns. Polystyrene and other polymers have since been used as a thickening agent."

[termtex01]

"I posted the points in this story a while back, and was debated as to the legitimacy of my points.

Posted by brianbwb at 12:58 AM : Apr 28, 2008"

Correct, you posted unsubstantiated rumors about Monsanto creating sterile seed technology, and I slapped you backside down with reputable proof they have NOT done so. All you ever posted was hearsay and accusations you couldn''t back up.

[caliengineer]

Understand: Monsanto, servant to the some elite power brokers as the banking system, is now using what the banks used in the 20''s and 30''s: tactics to destroy small players and collect market share to themselves. This is evil.

[rudy654-2009]

Little about this mafia organization makes the headlines as it is. Right now they have begun to strong arm milk producer who advertise that they don''t use Monsanto''s growth hormone. They are also trying to strong arm groups like the Mennonites and Amish who continue to sell milk as they always have.

[brianbwb-2009]

I posted the points in this story a while back, and was debated as to the legitimacy of my points.

Monsanto is trying to control the world''s food, a plot straight out of "Austin Powers", or "Get Smart".

Time to end this.

[truthalways]

Monsanto is preparing the way for the antichrist...to control the food production in the world...

It''s written in the books of revelation...those who do not have the mark of the beast will not get food...

Mosanto wil control the food prodcution by running all small farmers out of business...producing seeds that no one can plant...also seeds that will lead to seedless fruits....

[stevador39]

Monsanto is the creator of Agent Orange and Napalm. They have put many dairy farmers out of business trying to force the use of their growth hormones in cows. Monsanto is poising the earth and threatening the food crops of the people of the world and the U.S.

[apprxam]

Patriotic to a fault is right on point. The waving of the flag without critical thinkning as to who and what is directing the chorus (George "AWOL" Bush & Prick "Five Deferment" Cheney).

Wars of this type will never end and governmental treason will become ever more natural.

[liberalme]

They happily go off to fight a war that was created to enrich the same corporations that will later oppress them in turn, if they survive, and all for "God and Country".

Posted by ibsteve2u at 09:16 PM :

Sad but true steve but it won''t stop unless we stop it!

[apprxam]

"Suicide Seeds"