Percy Schmeiser

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Percy Schmeiser (born January 5, 1931) is a farmer from Bruno, Saskatchewan, Canada. He specializes in breeding and growing canola. He became an international symbol and spokesperson for independent farmers' rights and the regulation of transgenic crops during his protracted legal battle with agrichemical giant Monsanto.

1 Monsanto vs Schmeiser
2 Other accomplishments
3 Quotes
4 External links

[edit] Monsanto vs Schmeiser

Main article at Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser

In 1997, Monsanto's genetically modified Roundup Ready Canola plants were found in Percy Schmeiser's field. In spring 1998, before Schmeiser planted his 1998 crop, he was informed that Monsanto believed that he had grown Roundup Ready canola in 1997. In the summer of 1998 the canola in Schmeiser's fields was found to be Roundup Ready canola. After this, Monsanto sued Schmeiser for patent infringement. For the next several years, the case travelled through the Canadian court system. Meanwhile, Schmeiser became an international symbol and spokesperson for the anti-GE movement. He accepted speaking engagements, and received donations for his defense fund, from around the world. Ultimately, a Supreme Court ruling found in favor of Monsanto. Often misinterpreted, the decision was relatively limited. The publicity around the case focused on whether Monsanto would be held responsible for GE crop contamination. This issue was, in explicit fact, not considered by the courts. The patent infringement finding was based solely on the determination that Schmeiser had recognized the crosscontamination, and knowingly went on to collect the crossbred seed, then replant and harvest it the next year. No punitive damages were awarded to Monsanto.

[edit] Other accomplishments

Schmeiser served as mayor of the town of Bruno from 1966 to 1983, and also as member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly for the Watrous constituency from 1967 to 1971. Percy Schmeiser married Louise Schmeiser in October of 1952 and they have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In October of 2000, Schmeiser received the Mahatma Gandhi Award for working for the good of mankind in a non-violent way.

Schmeiser was the recipient of the Merit Award for Dealer of the Year in 1984 by the Saskatchewan Manitoba Implement Dealers Association.

Schmeiser was appointed to Saskatchewan's Real Estate Commission in 1993 and served until 1999.

Schmeiser has served as a town councillor of the town of Bruno since 2003 and currently serves as the deputy mayor.

[edit] Quotes

"Now, at 70, I am involved with this fight with Monsanto. I stood up to them because that a farmer should never give up the right to use his own seed. I felt very strongly about it because my grandparents came here from Europe in late 1890s and early 1900s to open this land, to be free, and to grow what they wanted to grow. Now we are going back to a feudal system that they left because they were not free—basically we are becoming serfs of the land." — Percy Schmeiser in an interview with Acres USA

"Farmers should be concerned about this judgment as they now may lose their ability to continue with this practice. I believe that this ruling is an injustice and Parliament must act to ensure that farmer's rights are protected. The playing field between farmer rights and the bio-tech companies rights has been tilted towards the companies with this decision." [1]

"I have always campaigned on the right of a farmer to save and re-use his own seed. This is what I have been doing for the last 50 years. I will continue to support any efforts to strengthen the rights of a farmer to save and re-use his own seed." [2]

On August 11, 1999, Schmeiser sued Monsanto for ten million dollars for "libel, trespass, and contamination of his fields with Roundup Ready Canola".