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2014-01-20 |

GM contamination case in Australia: An organic farmer seeks compensation from a GM farmer

Steve Marsh is a farmer who lost his organic certification when genetically modified (GM) canola blew onto his farm from a neighbouring property in 2010. Steve lost most of his income and has struggled for the past three years trying to make ends meet while working to decontaminate his land and get his organic certification back. In this case the contamination comes from canola patented by Monsanto but the biotech company avoids legal implications by including a no liability clause with each sale of their GM-seeds. If Steve wins it will set a precedent – making GM farmers in Australia responsible for any cases of GM contamination. The judgement will also guide the application of common law to GM contamination events and will be of interest to lawmakers worldwide.

This landmark case is set to begin on the 10th of February in the Western Australian Supreme Court and as we get closer to the date the urgency for support is stronger than ever. We are seeking support from all around the world as this issue affects everyone of us and our choice of what we eat. Steve’s opponent is well supported and well funded by a pro-GM organisation and we need to make sure Steve has the best case possible to win this for all of us.

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