I’m a farmer and I signed a contract with Monsanto

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I’m a family farmer, and I have signed a Monsanto contract. . . .People claim that we are beholden to corporations like Monsanto and have to sign unfair contracts to be privileged enough to use their seed.  They’ll also claim that the contracts rope us into buying other inputs like insecticides and herbicides from the same company.  I’d like to other you my thoughts on this issue.

. . . .

When we buy Monsanto’s GMO seeds we sign a Technology/Stewardship Agreement.  Section 4 of the 2011 agreement I have on file covers everything the grower must agree to when purchasing these products.  Here’s a [selection] of the requirements.

  • Read and follow the Technology Use Guide and Insect Resistance Management/Grower Guide.  So Monsanto has ideas on how best to use their product.  Some of it is required by the EPA to make sure farmers like me understand how to steward the technology. . . .
  • Implement an Insect Resistance Management program.
  • We should only buy seed from a dealer or seed company licensed by Monsanto.  
  • We agree to use seed with Monsanto technology solely for planting a single commercial crop. And don’t sell any to your neighbor either it says.
  • Our farm has agreed to only export and plant these crops in countries that allow them.
  • If I plant Roundup® Ready (RR) crops Monsanto would sure like me to use Roundup® herbicide on them, but I don’t have to.
  • We have to pay for the seed.  Ridiculous isn’t it? Paying for something that gives value in return? Not really out of line is it?

If you want to see the exact wording of the contract, click to view a PDF of my 2011 Monsanto Technology/Stewardship Agreement

Read full, original post: What’s in a Monsanto Contract?

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