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Monsanto Faces Multiple Lawsuits Over GMO Wheat

Monsanto GMO wheat lawsuit

Kansas farmer Bill Budde is at least the second wheat grower in the state to file a lawsuit against Monsanto. The Harvey County resident recently filed papers seeking class action status in the legal action related to the discovery of GMO wheat found in an Oregon field.

Similar Monsanto GMO wheat lawsuits have also been filed in Washington State and Idaho. As previously reported by Off The Grid News, the same genetically engineered wheat strain is believed to have been stored at a government-controlled facility in Colorado. The seed storage facility in Colorado falls under the guidance of the USDA. The USDA investigation into how the GE wheat from a 2005 field test wound up the Oregon field remains ongoing.

Wheat prices stumbled significantly after the GMO wheat was found in the Oregon field. Buyers from around the globe cancelled orders out of concern that the entire wheat crop in America had been contaminated by the Monsanto genetically modified seeds.

Monsanto has consistently claimed that none of the GE wheat ever entered the commercial market. The biotech giant further maintains that they have no legal liability due to the “care undertaken” to prevent the GMO wheat from entering the marketplace and has promised to vigorously fight back against the farmer lawsuits.

Public opinion about genetically modified crops is largely on the side of anti-GMO protesters assembling around the country, but government researchers don’t appear to believe the organic food movement is having much success thwarting GMO consumption. The latest USDA data revealed that GMO seeds comprise a total of 90 percent of the total amount of corn planted across the United States this year.

Seeds which were both herbicide and pesticide resistant comprised a total of 71 percent of the total planted acreage in 2013. Unfortunately, the non-organic seed growing practices comprised 52 percent of the total American crop yield last year, representing a significant increase for the current growing season.

Despite the growing concern over GMO crops, the USDA chooses to focus its attention on other matters. USDA agents allegedly drove four hours to confiscate 10 seeds sold on Ebay recently.  An Ebay buyer identified as “CJ” told Preparedness Pro that USDA agents drove to her rural home to confiscate a handful of corn seeds purchased on eBay from a seller in China. The government agents reportedly told CJ that the corn seeds possibly carried diseases that are not present in the United States.

New Survival Seed Bank™ Lets You Plant A Full Acre Crisis Garden!

CJ went on to state that the USDA inspectors left her with a 2-page list noting where and what it is lawful to import in relation to agriculture and food products. The “APHIS Fact Sheet” details the Plant Protection Quarantine laws. APHIS stands for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The eBay seeds listing reads:

“FREE SHIPPING 10 corn seeds, black waxy sweet delicious. Peruvian Giant Corn. Rare.”

According to keyword search terms research noted by Preparedness Pro, searches for non-hybrid, heirloom, and gardening has increased to their highest point in a decade as folks seeking to plant GMO-free seeds resort to internet browsing to make their purchases. The APHIS website features a database which gardeners and farmers can access find out if a seed or other food item is allowed to be shipped to the United States.

An excerpt from the APHIS website reads:

“Welcome to the APHIS Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirements (FAVIR) Database. This online reference allows easy access to regulations and information pertaining to the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States, its territories, and possessions. Collectively, these regulations are commonly referred to as Quarantine 56, or Q56. Information on obtaining a permit for the importation of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables can be obtained by going to the following website.”

The website featuring the database also includes a link to a fruit and vegetable import permit page. Apparently, the USDA, under powers ascribed by the Department of Homeland Security, are spending more time monitoring eBay seed purchases than actually researching the potential harm GMO seeds could cause to humans or the negative impact chemical pesticides may have on the ever decreasing bee population.

The anti-GMO sentiment is most definitely growing in the United States as the populace is finally becoming educated about the potential dangers of consuming genetically modified food. Sadly, it will take time and a multitude of vocal opposition for the growing practices now commonplace in America, to change.

Even folks who stand in firm opposition to genetically engineer food often have difficulty finding organically grown ingredients to toss into the cook pot. Merely garnering organic or heirloom seeds is now an extremely daunting task. However, despite what Big Ag may tell you, there is absolutely no need to grow Monsanto GMO corn to get a massive yield. The heirloom seeds I purchased from Solutions from Science are flourishing, especially my corn crop. I did not use any chemical pesticides to keep the bugs away, and I let the weeds grow in the dirt as God intended. My backyard organic garden did not fall into ruins because of the weeds; as Secret Garden of Survival author Rick Austin always reminds me, weeds are good and the same crop in straight rows is bad.

The best way to ensure the healthy nature of fruits and vegetables is to grow it yourself. Rural residents do have a distinct advantage when it comes to crafting a backyard crop, but urban gardening and suburban community gardens are now prevalent around the nation. Gardening does not need to be a massively time consuming task. As already noted, weeding is not necessary and a drip hose attached to rain barrels keep the crop watered without time-consuming water jugs or hose dragging chores.

A little help from the mainstream on the GMO and Monsanto issue would be greatly appreciated, but will unlikely be forthcoming. Monsanto will continue making money hand over fist while American citizens uneducated on the topic keep shoveling genetically modified green beans and dairy into their mouths.

Food-Shock

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