Monsanto Canada and Aventis CropScience GMO contaminating Organic Canola in Canada

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SASKATOON -- According to this story, a legal battle between organic farmers and two gigantic companies selling genetically modified (GM) canola seeds to their neighbours began to heat up in Saskatoon Court of Queen's Bench Tuesday.

Monsanto Canada and Aventis CropScience asked Justice Gene Ann Smith to allow them to delay filing statements of defence to a lawsuit launched by two farmers in January, until after the court decides whether the suit can proceed as a class action on behalf of all certified organic farmers in the province, and possibly some from outside the province.

Smith reserved her decision on the issue until a later, unspecified date. A hearing to determine if the suit can be certified as a class action is expected to commence later this year, though no date has been set. If allowed, it will be one of the first class-action suits filed in Saskatchewan since the Class Actions Act came into affect on Jan. 1.

For now, organic farmers Larry Hoffman of Spalding and Dale Beaudoin of the Maymont area are the plaintiffs in the suit. They claim that Round-Up Ready canola sold by Monsanto, and Liberty Link canola sold by Aventis (formerly known as AgrEvo Canada ) are pollutants that have contaminated their organic canola through natural cross-pollination from neighbouring fields, making it impossible to sell.

The GM canola is now grown so pervasively in Saskatchewan that it has essentially destroyed the organic canola market for local farmers, their lawsuit claims. It also argues Monsanto and Aventis violated environmental laws by not conducting environmental impact assessments before releasing the seeds.

The two companies are negligent for failing to make sure GM canola would not infiltrate neighbouring farms, and for failing to tell farmers who bought the GM seeds how to limit the spread of their crops, the lawsuit claims. It also asks for an injunction against the release of GM wheat, which is currently poised for introduction on the commercial market.

Monsanto and Aventis have both demanded and received further particulars from the plaintiffs about their claims, but are still not satisfied with the results, court heard Tuesday.

Aventis lawyer Bob Leurer told Smith his client will likely need more information from the plaintiffs -- further delaying the process -- if the company is ordered to produce a statement of defence before the certification hearing.

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Legally speaking of how GE crops like GE canola are destroying Organic canola crops in Canada through gene contamination by cross-pollination, this is a very important case in the Canadian 
courts.

The entire Canadian Organic canola market is basically being destroyed by GE canola seed sold by Monsanto and Aventis!

When will that happen in the US? How close are we to the destruction of the organic food industry in the US?

Neil Carman, Ph.D.
Sierra Club's Genetic Engineering Committee

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