US Supreme Court takes up case of farmer suing Monsanto
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The US Supreme Court will hear an appeal from a soybean farmer fighting Monsanto over rules governing use of its genetically modified seeds. -- PHOTO: BLOOMBERG NEWS
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Supreme Court will hear an appeal from a soybean farmer fighting Monsanto over rules governing use of its genetically modified seeds.
The court has agreed to take up the case of Vernon Bowman, 74 and from Indiana. The spat has been underway since 2008.
Monsanto makes soybean seeds that are genetically tweaked so that the plants survive when a Monsanto herbicide is vaporised to kill weeds.
The bone of contention is this: farmers who buy the Monsanto seeds cannot store excess supply to use after harvesting a first crop. This forces them to keep buying new seeds every season.
