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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>, Market Farming <marketfarming@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Monsanto versus Steve Marsh: First GM legal battle in Oz
  • Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:26:46 -0500


Monsanto versus Steve Marsh: First GM legal battle in Oz
http://www.truefood.org.au/newsandevents/?news=119
20 January 2011

One of the biggest legal battles in Australian GM history is brewing
in Western Australia, following organic farmer Steve Marsh's loss of
his organic certification because of GM contamination.

For the first time in Australia, an organic farmer has lost their
organic status because of contamination by GM canola. Kojonup farmer,
Steve Marsh, confirmed in January that his oat and wheat crops have
been downgraded to conventional crops because 70 per cent of his
property has been contaminated with Monsanto's Roundup Ready Canola.

Considering that organic wheat sells for $500 to $800 a tonne more
than conventional wheat and GM seeds can remain viable for a number of
years, Mr Marsh is facing massive financial losses. He has confirmed
he will take legal action. In response, Monsanto has announced that it
will bank-roll it's GM farmers legal defence.

Meanwhile, the Western Australian Government has done nothing to
assist Mr Marsh. Agriculture Minister Terry Redman has taken the same
position as Monsanto regarding Mr Marsh's decertification. In October,
Redman wrote to Mr Marsh blaming organic standards for not allowing GM
contamination. "The threshold for accidental presence in organic crops
is an important issue which needs to be addressed to enable
coexistence," Minister Redman wrote, stating that zero tolerance for
GM in organic crops is "unrealistic".




  • [permaculture] Monsanto versus Steve Marsh: First GM legal battle in Oz, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 01/22/2011

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