Submitted by gabrielle on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 17:14
by Kerry Trueman
A lawsuit filed on behalf of small family farmers against agribiz behemoth Monsanto brought farmers from all over the country to downtown Manhattan's Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse last Tuesday, January 31st. The lawsuit, OSGATA (Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association) et al vs. Monsanto, was filed on behalf of 300,000 organic and non-GMO farmers and citizens seeking protection "from ever being accused of infringing patents on transgenic (GMO) seed.” While the plaintiffs attended the hearing, hundreds of supporters gathered at a rally across the street at Foley Square organized by Food Democracy Now! and Occupy Big Food. Among the speakers was Lisa Stokke, co-founder and associate director for Food Democracy Now!, who read a statement from Joan Dye Gussow that neatly sums up what's at stake in this quintessentially David v. Goliath case:
