Monsanto Vs. Schmeiser

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Monsanto vs. Schmeiser Eric C. Williams University of Phoenix Terry Gatchell Jun 23, 2009 Case Study Analysis Percy Schmeiser an avid farmer who for more than 50 years is a farmer that has always used tried and true conventional methods to farming. Schmeiser has always studied and identified which plants were the best and he would take those seeds and harvest those for the next year. Schmeiser has always raised canola, from which derives a very common and easy to use vegetable oil. Schmeiser served as Mayor of Bruno, Saskatchewan, Canada for 17 years he was a very prominent member of the community and well liked among the residents. Percy Schmeiser never relied on any genetically modified seeds to preserve or enhance the longevity nor the quality of his plants. Monsanto, Inc. is an agricultural company that introduced farmers to genetically modified canola seeds known as Roundup Ready. Roundup Ready is an herbicide, Monsanto was the first to patent, market, and sell this product to farmers. Monsanto is very protective of its product: Roundup Ready Canola can only be purchased directly from the company. Independent farmers cannot sell the seeds as it is illegal to do so and would result in Monsanto suing the seller and the buyer of the product. Monsanto paid farmers to report any other fellow farmers that was using their product illegally, since Monsanto patented the product, they held all of the rights to the product. A fellow farmer reported to Monsanto that Percy Schmeiser had used Roundup Ready seeds on his crops. The neighbor quickly concluded that Schmeiser had done this because Schmeiser’s crops had remaining standing well into the next season. Monsanto expeditiously sent employees who had trespassed onto Schmeisers property illegally. Monsanto’s employees stole plants from the field, which coincidentally contained DNA from Roundup
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