More bad news for GMOs

[DonHansford]

From the True Food Network.

"Today, WA organic farmer Steve Marsh revealed that two-thirds of his farmland is contaminated by someone’s GM canola crop. The canola travelled at least 1.5 km and contaminated 220 hectares. Marsh could also potentially suffer huge financial losses, as Australian organic standards don’t accept any GM presence.

He is considering legal action, which would be the first case of its kind in Australia. The WA Government showed its bias to the GM industry when the agriculture minister, in response to Marsh, stated that zero percent thresholds are “unrealistic”. Organic certifier, the National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA), is conducting an official investigation."

What's the bet Monsanto are on his doorstep, looking for their royalties, before you can say "substantially equivalent!"

[sun burn]

Wow this should be interesting. What is a GMO? Is it a wild GM crop. Keep us informed Don. Finger's crossed for the good guy.

[DonHansford]

Wow this should be interesting. What is a GMO? Is it a wild GM crop. Keep us informed Don. Finger's crossed for the good guy.

The big(gest) problem with these GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), is that you can't recall them. Once these frankenplants (and animals) are placed outside the confines of a laboratory, nature takes it's course, and pollenation, and/or breeding takes place.

The SuperSalmon that have been approved for "test" farming are a case in point. The common opinion amongst all fish scientists who aren't bankrolled by the GMO industry, is that when, not if, these salmon escape and breed with the wild salmon, there will be no natural wild salmon left within 15 years.

Sadly, Steve Marsh may end up in the same boat as Percy Schmeisser, who was hounded into bankruptcy by Monsanto for having GM grain on his property, which had blown in from his neighbours place.

Between this stuff, and the nightmare of Coal Seam Gas, it may not be too long before we see the Eureka flag flying again.

[sun burn]

The salmon story reminds of the situation on Bruny island in Tasmania where pacific oysters have overtaken the local ones. The local ones can't compete.


i hope the percy schmeisser prediction doesn't come to pass.

[matto]

This is going to be a real problem that is already being played out in the US. It will be interesting to see how it evolves.
Being an organic farmer, he knew that there is zero tolerance to GM contamination but at 1.5kms away he may have though he was safe. For Roundup Ready® canola, the Monsanto Licence and Stewardship Agreement requires that there is a 5-metre buffer between GM and non- GM canola crops....Laughable?
This may mean that Monsanto is the responsible part, but then they have also stated that there is no way they can control their seeds. And they have an army of lawyers to go into bat for them.
The media hasn't picked upon this case yet, I certainly hope it will. This is what farmers in WA were concerned about with the lifting of the moratorium.

[opcn]

You cannot recall any crop that breeds freely. Dandelions were released in the states and have been quite a problem (especially here up north), but there is nothing GM about them.

There was talk of developing biological controls on GMOs so that they could be controlled completely, but the environmentalist movement had a big snit and stopped the problem. Monsanto wont go for it because it's too expensive for too little profit, but there are other firms working on ways to control their seed.

[DonHansford]

Dandelions were released in the states and have been quite a problem (especially here up north), but there is nothing GM about them.

No - they don't kill every insect that approaches them, either. Nor are they "Roundup Ready"

.........There was talk of developing biological controls on GMOs so that they could be controlled completely, but the environmentalist movement had a big snit and stopped the problem.

You've lost me - a) they can't be controlled "completely", and b) how did the "environmentalist movement" stop the problem? As far as I know, it's STILL a problem.

Monsanto wont go for it because it's too expensive for too little profit, but there are other firms working on ways to control their seed.

Every court case so far has been based on the fact that Monsanto "own" the genetic rights to that seed. they would never consent to "other firms" having access to their so-called"patents" to allow them to develop ways to control their seed, not least of the fact that this would imply that their product needed controlling.

[frosty]

There has been some local coverage on the WA ABC Country Hour.

matto what could he do if his neighbour decides to grow GM ?

What also concerns me is what NASAA will do. As an Organic consumer I want his produce not sold as Organic without rigorous testing yet in the past the Certifiaction groups have turned a blind eye to aerial locust spraying within 100m of Organic farms.

frosty

[opcn]

What is the damage for growing next to a Round up ready (RUR) crop?

I was unclear. Modern GMO's can not be controlled once they are released.Monsanto makes a lot of money from its uncontrolled crops landing on someone else's land and then suing the snot out of them.

[Terra]

Legal action is a real minefield , taking on Monsanto wont be easy too many powerfull people with thier pockets full to the brim . Steve might find it easier to take action against the source of contaminant , bit hard when its your nieghbour . Canola "bushes" once windrowed can be picked up by wind and rolled across the paddock a long way , they can just keep bouncing along , next year it could come from a different direction , the harvested grain is very small and round and shiney so can trickle out tiny holes in trucks . I would think that if you could prove that you in no way profited from (RUR) crops then Monsanto wouldnt be able to put thier hand out . This really has to be sorted out fast at a federal level , its pretty sad but Steve is basically stuffed he will lose his market , the contaminant is hard seeded so will just keep coming at him and no fault of his own . The main Canola seed growing areas have been hammered with the flooding rains in the eastern states watch closely there maybe a new push into south australia to allow GM Canola.