For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering page and our Millions Against Monsanto page.

Law imposes moratorium on the growing of GM crops until scientific studies are conducted on their safety

Monsanto and Dow are suing Maui County, Hawaii to block its new law banning GMO cultivation (item 1 below).

In June this year, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, an industry association funded by Big Food, sued the State of Vermont for instituting its GMO labelling law (item 2).

And last year, Syngenta and Bayer sued the EU for placing a limited ban on their neonicotinoid pesticides, which are implicated in the decline of bees and other beneficial insects.

GMO/chemical companies suing governments is a growing trend that’s likely to continue as long as company budgets far exceed the resources of government authorities – and as long as corporations continue to be given the rights of individuals with none of the responsibilities.

The trend will increase exponentially if the TTIP free trade agreement between the US and the EU goes ahead as planned.

1. Two developers sue Hawaii county to halt GMO law
2. Lawsuit challenges Vermont’s GMO labeling law —

1. Two developers sue Hawaii county to halt GMO law

Associated Press via The Daily Mail, 14 Nov 2014

Two leading developers of genetically engineered corn have sued Maui County to stop a new law banning the cultivation of genetically modified organisms.

The lawsuit filed by Monsanto Co. and a Dow Chemical Co. unit in federal court in Honolulu asks a judge to immediately prevent the law from taking effect. It also seeks to invalidate the new law, which voters narrowly adopted during last week’s election after an intense campaign featuring $8 million in spending by the seed companies against the initiative.

Both companies research and develop new varieties of corn in the county. Hawaii’s warm weather enables the seed companies to grow more crop cycles each year, accelerating their research. Conducting the work in a U.S. state also helps the seed companies protect their intellectual property.

The lawsuit said Monsanto would have to substantially downsize its activity in the county, where it employs over 365 people and owns or leases more than 3,000 acres of farmland on Molokai and Maui islands. Mycogen Seeds, a unit of Dow AgroSciences, would shut down critical parts of its development and production operations in the county, and downsize its work force, the complaint said. Mycogen Seeds employs over 100 people and farms about 420 acres on Molokai.