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Schmeisers Receive 2007 Right Livelihood Award |
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Contributed by Jim Elliott
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Saturday, 29 December 2007 |
Percy and Louise Schmeiser, a small farming family were honoured in December in Sweden where they received one of the 2007 Right Livelihood Awards given by a Swedish/German philanthropist and is seen as the alternative to the Nobel Prize.
The Swedish foundation praised the Canadian couple for challenging multimillion dollar corporations claiming to own "patents for life". "It revealed how traditional seed economics and treatment is currently giving way to a dependency on only a few big multinational enterprises...", the group said.
The fight began in 1998 when Monsanto took the Schmeisers to court for using its genetically modified, patented canola seed without a license. The Schmeisers claimed they never planted the seeds and that they must have blown on to their land from neighbouring fields. The couple lost their case and now they are suing Monsanto for contaminating their land with genetically modified seed. They are certified organic farmers and this could disqualify their certification. This case comes up on January 23rd, 2008.
As the family is not rich, they are calling on those who support them to donate money for their mounting legal fees. The associated prize with the Award will help. For more information, contact www.percyschmeiser.org or send funds to Fighting Genetically Altered Food Fund Inc., Box 3743, Humboldt, Sask. S0K 2A0.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 30 December 2007 )
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