Agent Orange Case Proceeds

briefs new york/reuters Monsanto Co. has lost a bid to close part of a lawsuit alleging the company caused health injuries to residents living near a plant that made the Vietnam War-era U.S. military defoliant Agent Orange. Monsanto, which operated a Nitro, West Virginia, chemical plant from 1934 to 2000, argued it was working as

In Brief… – for Jul. 7, 2011

EU drought eases:Rain in past weeks has saved European Union wheat from the worst impact of drought this spring but the 2011 crop will still fall on the year, analysts and traders said June 28. Much of west Europe has had regular rain in the past three weeks, relieving parched crops after the spring drought.


Manitoba Forage Seed Grower Joins Anti-Monsanto Legal Action

In the age of patent protection, there’s lots of precedent for corporate giants suing farmers – but few farmers willing to take on the corporations. Well, meet Paul Gregory. He is among 60 farmers, producer groups and seed companies suing Monsanto Co. by challenging its patents on genetically modified seed. Gregory, who owns Interlake Forage

Rumoured Monsanto Sale Denied

Germany’s BASF has no plans to buy global biotech seed company Monsanto Co., sources with knowledge of the situation said April 12. Rumours that a buyout was imminent sent Monsanto’s shares up as much as four per cent while shares of BASF, the world’s largest chemical maker, fell 2.8 per cent. The two companies are


Cancer Cause Or Crop Aid? Glyphosate Faces Big Test

Critics say it’s a chemical that could cause infertility or cancer, while others see it speeding the growth of super weeds and causing worrying changes to plants and soil. Backers say it is safe and has made a big contribution to food production. It’s glyphosate, the key – but controversial – ingredient in Roundup herbicide

Organic Farmers Sue, Seek Protection From Monsanto

A consortium of U.S. organic farmers and seed dealers filed suit against global seed giant Monsanto Co. on Mar. 29, in a move to protect themselves from what they see as a growing threat in the company’s arsenal of genetically modified crops. The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) filed the suit on behalf of more than


Monsanto GM Sugar Beets Can Stay In The Ground

In a partial win for global biotech seed maker Monsanto Co. , a U.S. Appeals Court has reversed a lower court’s order that called for the destruction of young genetically modified sugar beet plants, according to a ruling released Feb. 25. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found permits issued by the U.S. Department

USDA Partially Deregulating Biotech Sugar Beets

U.S. agricultural regulators Feb. 4 said despite a court ban, they would allow commercial planting of genetically modified sugar beets under closely controlled conditions while they complete a full environmental impact statement. The move marks the second-such boost by the United States for contested biotech crops in a week, and underscores U.S. determination to expand


GM Crop Patents Near End, U.S. Farmers Ask What Next?

The biotechnology industry should develop a format to handle the looming expiration of patents on the first wave of genetically modified (GM) crops, to avoid seed shortages or trade disruptions, the largest U.S. farm group said. “There just needs to be a way to deal with it,” Rosemarie Watkins of the six-million-member American Farm Bureau

Vilsack Seeks Biotech Compromise

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the largest U.S. farm group on Jan. 10 that farmers could see less government interference if they find a way for traditional and genetically modified crops to coexist. Farm groups and the biotechnology industry are skeptical of Vilsack’s “coexistence” proposal. He launched it last month at the same time the