(source: www.greenme.it) Steve Marsh is an Australian farmer who took the field with courage to stop GMO rapeseed and contamination. His battle against Monsanto officially begins today, Monday, February 10, 2014, with the start of a trial before the Supreme Court of Western Australia. Because of the trial, Steve Marsh could lose all his money. For this reason, Safe Food Foundation has launched a fundraiser. Marsh is fighting to defend the right of all citizens to have GMO-free food available. The main problem concerns contamination due to the presence of GMO crops near areas where fields managed according to organic agriculture are located.
Steve works as a farmer on an organic farm in the town of Kojonup, in Western Australia. In 2010, for the first time, the Government granted its authorization for the cultivation of GMO rapeseed for commercial purposes. Many farmers, including Marsh's neighbors, have started growing it.
In a short time, man found himself faced with a
serious problem of contamination of his crops and a constant spread of GMO rapeseed plants on most of the land of his organic farm. The consequences for Marsh turned out to be very serious.
70% of his land was contaminated by GMOs and his farm has lost its organic certification.
Monsanto is free from any liability with regard to GMO contamination. But instead of accepting what happened, Steve Marsh decided to take his neighbor to court, in order to receive compensation for the losses and damages suffered. This is the only possible path to justice. However, the GMO farmer is supported by a lobby that acts in defense of Monsanto and genetically modified organisms.
This is the
first case in the world in which an organic farmer decides to request compensation from a GMO farmer for the damage suffered, since his rights have been violated by biotech crops. His battle was born first of all in defense of the rights of his compatriots to consume uncontaminated food.
Australia's food labeling system would be so unreliable as to force consumers to buy organic products to avoid GMOs. Marsh never wanted to drag his neighbor to court. But since he could not direct his accusations directly against Monsanto, he decided to avail himself of this only way out. The costs for the process are very high and for this reason Safe Food Foundation has launched a fundraiser. If the GMO faction prevails, citizens and organic farmers in Australia could lose any right to safe, uncontaminated food.
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