Oregon Organic Farmers Beat Monsanto As Federal Judge Upholds GMO Seed Ban

www.alternet.org...

The victory by Our Family Farms Coalition is notable in many regards. To start, Jackson County passed its ordinance before agribusiness giants successfully lobbied the Oregon legislature to pass a law banning counties from adopting this form of anti-GMO seed law. In contrast to many other anti-GMO campaigns across the country, Jackson County didn’t focus on requiring food labels to identify GMO ingredients—which federal courts repeatedly have thrown out as violating a food maker’s commercial speech rights. Instead, activists focused on barring the use of GMO seeds in the county, affecting only a few farms, as a way to ensure that crops and seeds produced on many more organic farms were not sullied.

Please see the article for more details.

Now of course this will be appealed to a 'higher authority' by a 'higher authority (Monsanto)" as big ag can't allow this to stand.

I find it very interesting that Big Ag is seeking Federal legislation to block GMO labeling as it finds (poor Big Ag) battling it out in the State courts to be 'expensive' (read - lowering profit).

It's interesting how idealogy changes (from States rights to Federalism and back) depending upon personal benefit for corporate conservatives.

I digress.

This particlar win for Food Freedom is not about labeling products but the Freedom to grow crops without GMO contamination and past higher court rulings have supported Big Ag/Industrial farming in their freedom to pollute over the Right & Freedom of citizen farmers (not to mention citizen consumers) to grow organically.

We'll have to watch this one closely.

a reply to: FyreByrd

Its a good start to build on.
Can Monsanto appeal this?

HE HE HOO HOO- My plan to crush these evil empires is going according to plan!

originally posted by: EA006
a reply to: FyreByrd

Its a good start to build on.
Can Monsanto appeal this?

Not only can they, they probably have the highest powered legal team money can buy. If you want to own all of the world's plants and crops you have to pay the lawyers their fair share (or give them soy and tulips, just let them have all the soy and tulips).

a reply to: FyreByrd Thank you for posting this. We can all hope for the best.

Nice! Now if only GMO can just shrivel up and die, never to be seen again. I can dream can't I?

How long before we read in the headlines
"Judge found dead"

Good on that, maybe if it can get some where, can catch on other places. As mentioned it's far from being over with. With that will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Fantastic!

originally posted by: VoidHawk
How long before we read in the headlines
"Judge found dead"

Yeah and he choked on a GM seed

I don't want to be apart of a planet's species; that genetically alters Earth's natural formed foods, and pushes it down people's throat.

Sounds like big pharmacy, but big agriculture. .

What choice do u have, when Monsanto and Co. (Judges, lawyers, politicians etc..) are teamed up with massive amounts of money that is inconceivable to the average Joe's noggin?

If GMO made no difference in its modifications, genetically, to the consumer of, then why spend decades fighting local and organic farmers? Why spend billions to spank every seed owner and farmer you can get your tenticles around?

If Monsanto was good, and GMO is to feed the starving and poor, why since it's establishment is starvation and poverty as bad or worse then ever?

Also; why is there more health issues, sickness, diseases, mental disorders etc.. most linked to diet and food? People were not this obese, skinny, or unbalanced biologically before the practice of GMO.

Yes people were unhealthy and sick, but not near as much as seen today! The rate of health issues linked to food is mind boggling.

You are what you eat.

I'll say it again.

F* MONSANTO. REAL FOOD FOR REAL HUMANS ON A REAL PLANET.

a reply to: FyreByrd

which federal courts repeatedly have thrown out as violating a food maker’s commercial speech rights

Can you provide an example of a single case where this has occurred?

It's interesting how idealogy changes (from States rights to Federalism and back) depending upon personal benefit for corporate conservatives.

The trouble is, this is a county ordinance, not a state law. The case will be interesting.

The plaintiffs interpreted the "right to farm" law as protecting their genetically engineered alfalfa crops from being destroyed.

While Clarke dismissed the alfalfa farmers' arguments regarding "right to farm," their claim seeking $4.2 million in compensation from Jackson County remains alive.

www.oregonlive.com...

Now of course this will be appealed to a 'higher authority' by a 'higher authority (Monsanto)" as big ag can't allow this to stand.

Monsanto is the only producer of GM alfalfa?

This won't matter, they keep appearing and coming at you, sometimes retrying from a different angle, and sometimes blatantly ignoring the decisions and proceeding as if they won.

I remember the accounts of James Gilliland for example and how he finally became sovereign, through many ordeals.

Just think they need to regroup and plan their next steps in this war.

originally posted by: Ghost147
Nice! Now if only GMO can just shrivel up and die, never to be seen again. I can dream can't I?

Please keep on dreaming - the world needs more dreamers.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: FyreByrd

which federal courts repeatedly have thrown out as violating a food maker’s commercial speech rights

Can you provide an example of a single case where this has occurred?

It's interesting how idealogy changes (from States rights to Federalism and back) depending upon personal benefit for corporate conservatives.

The trouble is, this is a county ordinance, not a state law. The case will be interesting.

The plaintiffs interpreted the "right to farm" law as protecting their genetically engineered alfalfa crops from being destroyed.

While Clarke dismissed the alfalfa farmers' arguments regarding "right to farm," their claim seeking $4.2 million in compensation from Jackson County remains alive.

www.oregonlive.com...

Now of course this will be appealed to a 'higher authority' by a 'higher authority (Monsanto)" as big ag can't allow this to stand.

Monsanto is the only producer of GM alfalfa?

Pretty weak - but as a GMO apologist I guess you have to try.

David and Monsanto - is a well - known documentary on the subject. No - not exactly the same - but very close.

Yes a county ordinance and the suit by industrial farmers was heard by a Federal Magistrate - do you have a point to make.

It will be an interesting case because contitutional law will come into play - Because the Plaintiffs (read big ag) are claiming that "their profit is being taken without compensation" (sounds familier - n'cest pas?) and are refering to the 'taking' . Specifically the 'takings' clause of the 5th amendment to the constitution.

I don't know if Monsanto is the only manufacturer of GMO alfalfa but they are the ones who sued the county.

originally posted by: Unity_99
This won't matter, they keep appearing and coming at you, sometimes retrying from a different angle, and sometimes blatantly ignoring the decisions and proceeding as if they won.

I remember the accounts of James Gilliland for example and how he finally became sovereign, through many ordeals.

Just think they need to regroup and plan their next steps in this war.

Sadly, I agree with you. Big Business can outspend anyone (certainly a rural county - they can bankupt them with this suit - real fair) and will take it to the Supreme Court which is packed with Big Business backers.

It always does my heart good to hear of these little wins.

a reply to: FyreByrd

It will be an interesting case because contitutional law will come into play - Because the Plaintiffs (read big ag) are claiming that "their profit is being taken without compensation" (sounds familier - n'cest pas?) and are refering to the 'taking' . Specifically the 'takings' clause of the 5th amendment to the constitution.

250 acres is "big ag?"

Schulz, 51, stands on the family's 250-acre farm, in front of the white house his mom has lived in for 56 years. He points to a white and green house across the road, where his father grew up, and his house a quarter-mile west behind a patch of trees.

www.oregonlive.com...

Opponents say their livelihoods are under threat. They openly resent the growing influence of organic farmers, many of whom they say are recent California transplants who brought their liberal political activism with them.

Damned hippies are californicating Oregon.

a reply to: Elementalist

Yup, much better to use atomic radiation to force mutations in plants, right?

A lot of "real foods" we're created this way.

a reply to: FyreByrd

I really hate Monsanto.

a reply to: FyreByrd

Good.

Even small victories are long overdue where BIGAG is concerned.

If nothing else, hopefully it will tie the crooks up in court for decades...eat away at profit margins and cause hundreds of millions to be spent on positive PR to counter the bad legal press...little by little..drop by drop is the way to beat these scum, a head on offensive won't win..a war of attrition will, simply because there are many, many times more people who won't stand for their crap being forced on them than they can employ to force it on us...simple maths will win out in the end, and big investors will eventually go for different stocks without the negative PR attached.