Organic Farmers vs. Monsanto: Update, Petition Comments & What’s Next
6th March 2012
Contributing Writer for Wake Up World
Dear Passionate Hearts of the World,
Last week we posted an open (hearted) letter to the farmers and seed growers who were part of the group (OSGTA) that sued Monsanto. As many of you know, Monsanto has garnered quite the reputation for bullying small organic farmers, filing suit against them, litigating them to no end, and bankrupting them. Witnessing this for years, the organic and commercial seed farms, co-ops and farming groups did not want to be next. So, OSGTA filed this preemptive suit, meaning that they are seeking to protect themselves and their farms (our food) in advance, before getting that harrowing knock on the door by Monster Santo.
As many of you also may know, last week this lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Buchwald in Federal District Court in Manhattan (oh, I’d hate to be her walking down the streets of the Big Apple). In response to this decision, and after reading the farmers’ woes and the national outrage over this decision, a letter to the farmers began to write itself from me, pouring out from my heart during dinner. So, I put down my plate and wrote it down. And I am glad I did. Passionate readers like you began to gravitate around this message, which also spoke directly to Monsanto and our quickly evolving revolution between Big Business and ordinary life-loving citizens like you and me.
We decided to make a petition out of the letter so we could all join our voices into one unified outpouring of love, encouragement and gratitude to the farmers and seed growers. In two days our petition got 2,000 signatures. I go to the petition site frequently to see how our numbers are doing and to read the comments left by signers from all over the world. It’s a rush—so inspiring!
People have signed on from Australia, Cyprus, Italy, Norway, Finland, Japan, Canada, Untied States, New Zealand, South Africa, Romania, West Indies, France, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Germany, UK, Hungary, Austria, French Polynesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Botswana, Belgium, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Iceland, Mexico, and more. Unbelievable.
This shows that GMO pollution and a desire for clean food is a worldwide concern.
Honestly, when I went through the comments I was about moved to tears by so many. I found myself unable to choose just a few. So, without any ultimately good enough reason to choose some and not others, here are a few. We have posted more at the end of the article, and all comments can be viewed at the petition site. We will continue to post more comments each day at the end of this article, so please check back to read more . Thank you all for posting; my heart joins your words and your conviction and your strong spirits…you blow me away.
“WE, the people, deserve the truth about the foods we eat. For too long we’ve allowed the gov’t and big biz to rule our lives. THAT time is over, expect us.”
“I work in healthcare helping people heal from disease, and cannot believe that our government would sign on to something which will affect our health. The recent ruling is to me, akin to genocide.”
“ I cried when I saw you were standing up to Monsanto, and I cried when the case got dropped. It still means a lot to me that you tried. We need to reword your lawsuit and try again. We can not stand for this sick injustice.”
“One of the highlights of my week is going to the organic farmers market in my neighbourhood with my daughter. We engage with the farmers, talk about each others lives, and it gives us a real connection to the food we eat. I do not want this to end and will do my part to be on the side of the farmers, not Monsanto.”
“As a citizen of the world I will not stand by and allow you to destroy the planet that I will leave to my children. Monsanto MUST be stopped!”
Your overwhelming response over the last few days have fueled me to keep spreading the good word. I invite you to every now and then go the petition site and read some of the juicy stuff pouring from everyone. It’s good medicine to juice your own encouragement, activism, love, and hope! I thank you all (and others around the world who signed) for your comments and for contributing to what is ultimately a gift to the OSGTA. All comments will be copied to the farmers group.
An Occupy Our Food group has offered to put us in touch with all the OSGTA plaintiffs so we can share our letter and our comments with them. They have one month to file for appeal, which is about twenty days from now. So we want to get a lot more signatures, soon.
Please share the petition letter along to as many as you can and to any and all media outlets you see fit, no restrictions, for it is your letter as well, if you care to make it so. If you have a large contact base, and can pull this thing out for us, you’ll be a hero. We want to match the number of signatures with the number of persons in the suit—300,000.
As one petition signer put it:
“Monsanto must be stopped and we, the people, can stop them.”
She is so right. To this end, stay tuned for my next article, GMO Takedown (likely in two parts). In it I will share step-by-step how together, through each of our individual efforts, we can relatively swiftly and collectively do just that. But it can only happen TOGETHER.
In love and solidarity, Jack
ADITIONAL PETITION COMMENTS
“I’m signing for the next seven generations. I support all actions to end Monsanto’s insane disrespect for our dear planet Earth and all the life she sustains.”
“I am so distressed by this outcome…..I am flooded with the sadness this brings to so many and the suffering that will be a result.”
“We must carry on the battle for liberty at every opportunity. My signature is but a small token of appreciation for what you have given.”
“The future of our children and generally the future in total is at stake.”
“As a citizen of the world I will not stand by and allow you to destroy the planet that I will leave to my children. Monsanto MUST be stopped!”
“One of the highlights of my week is going to the organic farmers market in my neighbourhood with my daughter. We engage with the farmers, talk about each others lives, and it gives us a real connection to the food we eat. I do not want this to end and will do my part to be on the side of the farmers, not Monsanto.”
“Because I want healthy and safe food for me and my children. In my country there is a saying “”Nobody is bigger then the bread””…Well, Monsanto obviously wants to be bigger than OUR bread, and not only in the US. Monsanto-making people miserable since 1992-that’s what their slogan should look like.” —Bulgaria
“because I hate those goddamn kike pieces of shit who force their deadly GMO seeds on the world and think that we need to stop them at all costs.”
“it’s the least I can do.”
“Because I care about my children.”
“I applaud the real heroes here…the farmers and producers that stand up to Monsanto and say NO….and to each and every person out there fighting to restore what is real and natural in our world. History is being written here and will testify you are indeed the heroes against one of the most insidious evils of these modern times…..” —Excerpt
“I want small farms to survive and THRIVE because they are the answer to good health – for ourselves and our planet, and they connect us to our communities. We won’t give up the fight – it is so important!”
“Please know, that even though I live in Sydney, Australia ~ I stand beside you, as a Warrior for Our Environment and a Warrior for Wellness. NO, gmo in our food. Go Well, Keep fighting the ‘good fight’.”
“Because We are Natural Beings that need Natural, Unaltered and Non-Toxic food that will nurture and heal our bodies instead of making them diseased.”
“Because there is safety in diversity of plant life.” —Excerpt
Because the bees are dying due to them. Einstein said if the bees die we have seven years. I want to say to anyone as well that this is not political. This is apolitical. Everyone eats and wants their children to eat and to have the beautiful diversity we have been given for our and their safety. I tell my family…do not stand beneath those goliaths (Monsanto, Pharmacia) for God in his justice will eventually bring them down.”
“Farmers deserve to grow their own seeds without fear of being sued for accidental infringements of GMO’s. This dismissal is an outrage! I refuse to be a victim of GMO food, and support Organic farmers.”
Amen to all!
About the Author
Jack Adam Weber is a licensed acupuncturist, master herbalist, author, organic farmer, celebrated poet, and activist for Earth-centered spirituality. He integrates poetry, ancient wisdom, holistic medicine, and depth psychology into passionate presentations for personal fulfillment as a path to planetary transformation. His books, artwork, and provocative poems can be found at his website PoeticHealing.com. Jack can be reached at Jack@PoeticHealing.com A copy of Judge Buchwalds ruling can be found here
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