General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: You can't criticize one pseudoscience when supporting another. [View all]Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)"In general, Monsantos efforts to prosecute farmers can be divided
into three stages: investigations of farmers, out-of-court settlements, and
litigation against farmers Monsanto believes are in breach of contract or
engaged in patent infringement. Monsanto itself admits to aggressively
investigating farmers it suspects of transgressions, and evidence suggests
the numbers reach into the thousands. According to farmers interviewed by
CFS, these thousands of investigations frequently lead to the second stage:
Monsanto pressuring the farmer to settle out of court for an undisclosed
sum and other terms agreed to in confidential settlements.
"For some farmers, Monsantos investigation of them will lead to the
courtroom. To date (2005), Monsanto has filed 90 lawsuits against American farmers.
The lawsuits involve 147 farmers and 39 small businesses or farm companies,
and have been directed at farmers residing in half of the states in the U.S. The
odds are clearly stacked against the farmer: Monsanto has an annual budget
of $10 million dollars and a staff of 75 devoted solelyto investigating and
prosecuting farmers."
There is a good reason why the Monsanto Japan plot in Kawachi is quarantined-- The local farmers don't want anything from there to contaminate their crops.
I will add that most farms in Japan are family-owned, and Japanese farmers take great pains to produce the most wholesome foods possible. Crops and other foods that are of exceptional quality can even receive official designation as a "brand". There is absolutely no compelling reason why GMO crops should be grown in Japan, especially when the GMO materials are owned by companies that aggressively seek out and prosecute farmers whom they feel are violating their precious patent rights.