Food Democracy Now

At Food Democracy Now!, we believe it's time to end Monsanto's campaign of fear and intimidation against America's farmers! Join us to stand up for America's family farmers and the integrity of our food and agricultural heritage.

A Brief History: OSGATA vs Monsanto

Family farmers and farm organizations originally filed a lawsuit against Monsanto in March 2011 in an effort to invalidate Monsanto’s patents and protect organic and non-GMO family farmers from unwanted genetic contamination of their crops and from Monsanto’s aggressive patent infringement lawsuits.

Monsanto filed a motion to dismiss the case, which was heard in Federal District Court in New York City on January 31st, 2012. In February 2012, Federal Judge Naomi Buchwald dismissed the case, ruling that the farmers lacked legal standing regarding the concerns over genetic contamination and resulting economic harm.

In March 2012, Plaintiffs appealed the District Court's decision to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which scheduled oral argument in the case to be heard on January 10, 2013.

Lawyers from the Public Patent Foundation, who are representing the farmers have identified numerous reversible legal and factual errors committed by the judge which they assert caused her to mistakenly dismiss the case.

What’s at Stake

OSGATA vs Monsanto is a landmark legal case attempting to protect family farmers from Monsanto’s aggressive patent infringement lawsuits and unwanted genetic contamination that results when Monsanto’s patented, GMO pollen blowing across farmer’s fences and contaminates their crops against their wishes. In an effort to enforce their legal patents on their genetically engineered genes, Monsanto regularly sends their seed police out in rural America to trespass on farmer’s fields and steal their plants to take them back to their labs for testing.

Since 1997, one year after the approval of Monsanto’s GMO Roundup Ready soybeans, the world’s leading chemical and biotech seed company admits to filing 150 lawsuits against America’s family farmers, while settling another 700 out of court for undisclosed amounts. During this time, Monsanto has investigated an average of more than 500 family farmers each year.

Due to these aggressive lawsuits and investigations, Monsanto has created an atmosphere of fear in rural America and driven dozens of farmers into bankruptcy.

The Latest

Background on the Lawsuit

What Can You Do?

GMO Labeling Bill Voted Down: Senate Betrays America Once Again! May 23, 2013

By Michael McAuliff, The Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- The United States Senate decided again Thursday that it simply does not want to let states tell people ...

COMMENTS

Tell the Senate to Protect States' Rights to Label GMOs: Don't Let Monsanto Write the Rules May 23, 2013

Stop the Corporate Takeover of America: Tell your Senators "Don't let Monsanto Write the Rules"!

If you ever needed a reason to call the ...

COMMENTS

Tell Congress to Repeal the Monsanto Protection Act and Support Organics! May 22, 2013

Stop the Corporate Takeover of America: Tell Congress to Repeal the Monsanto Protection Act and support GMO labeling and environmental protections in the 2013 Farm ...

COMMENTS

Connecticut Senate Backs Bill To Label Genetically Modified Foods May 22, 2013

By Daniela Altimari,

HARTFORD — A bill that would require food made with genetically modified organisms to carry labels cleared the state Senate late Tuesday night ...

COMMENTS

Tell Congress to Repeal the Monsanto Protection Act! May 20, 2013

Stop the Corporate Takeover of America: Tell Congress to Repeal the Monsanto Protection Act!

This week, an amendment to repeal the Monsanto Protection Act could ...

COMMENTS

New Study Links GMO Food To Leukemia: GMO BT Cry-Toxins May Contribute to Blood Abnormalities May 16, 2013

By Sayer Ji,

A groundbreaking new study published in the current issue of the Journal of Hematology & Thromboembolic Diseases reveals the potential "leukemogenic" properties of ...

COMMENTS

Maine Agriculture Committee Votes to Pass GMO Labeling Bill May 14, 2013

By Ramona Du Houx,

The Maine Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry (ACF) Committee voted this afternoon to support LD 718, An Act To Protect Maine ...

COMMENTS

Food Democracy Now! Slams Supreme Court Ruling on Monsanto’s GMO Seed Patents May 13, 2013

FDN! Founder Says Government is Complicit in Corporate Takeover of Nation’s Food Supply

Dave Murphy, Executive Director and founder of Food Democracy Now! on ...

COMMENTS

Supreme Court Supports Monsanto in GMO Seed-Replication Case May 13, 2013

By Adam Liptak,

Published: May 13, 2013