| A Saskatchewan farmer who has become a global folk hero for his battle with biotechnology giant Monsanto says he’s optimistic a recent Supreme Court decision against some DNA patents will help his case.
Percy Schmeiser, who is speaking in Calgary on April 24, travelled to 41 countries last year to meet with politicians, speak about his case and spread his message about the dangers of genetically modified food.
"I was a seed developer for over 50 years and that’s all gone now," he says. "In Canada, we no longer have uninfected seed. GMOs (genetically modified organisms) will destroy the organic farmer."
Schmeiser is hopeful the Supreme Court’s decision late last year to deny a patent for a genetically modified mouse designed for cancer research will give him an edge in his patent case against Monstanto’s genetically modified canola, which is currently before the Supreme Court.
"We feel there’s a very good possibility they will rule in our favour," he says.
Schmeiser says the case, which stretches back five years, illustrates all the dangers of GMOs, but it centres around his claim that his canola fields were "contaminated" by windblown or transported Monsanto canola seed.
Monsanto markets a genetically modified version of canola that is resistant to its Roundup herbicide. The company’s patent means farmers must purchase new seed from the company each year, rather than using seed from the previous year’s seed harvest as farmers have done for thousands of years.
Monsanto accuses Schmeiser of infringing on its patent, and says it hopes the Supreme Court upholds its lower-court victories. The company pursues farmers who use their product without paying for it, and charged Schmeiser when its canola was discovered on his field.
Schmeiser says he has never planted Roundup Ready canola, and that it appeared on his fields by being transported naturally. Although his defence has been rejected by lower courts twice, he has become an icon in the fight against genetically modified food.
Schmeiser says his case shows there is no way genetically modified crops can co-exist with traditional crops because they naturally mix in the environment – an issue gaining prominence with Monsanto’s push toward genetically modified wheat.
"It has economic consequences because… we can no longer sell one bushel of canola to the EU (European Union). Japan will also not buy GMOs, " he says. "You can see the devastation if we can’t export wheat to other countries."
Monsanto says it is years away from selling genetically modified wheat, and would only do so if the market asks for it. It also points to lower court rulings that found Schmeiser had infringed on the company’s patent.
"Very clearly it has been our belief that (Schmeiser) knowingly… misappropriated the technology," says Monsanto’s Trish Jordan. "We try to let the judgments speak for themselves."
Jordan says Monsanto products are used by thousands of farmers every year and rarely are there problems with windblown seed, as Schmeiser claims.
"We don’t prosecute farmers if something happens to end up somewhere it’s not supposed to be," Jordan says.
Schmeiser, however, accuses Monsanto of intimidating farmers and says the issue goes far beyond simple patent protection.
"I warn countries all the time – once you make that cross (to using GMOs), you can’t go back."
Schmeiser will speak Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. at the University of Calgary. |
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