Monsanto Responds to Neil Young Documentary

Credit: Danny ClinchAgribusiness giant Monsanto is firing back at the claims made the mini-documentary, Seeding Fear, co-produced by Neil Young’s film company.

As previously reported, the film examines a lawsuit, which was settled out of court, between the corporation and Alabama farmer Michael White, whom the company sued for patent infringement.

“Mr. White is not transparent in describing his actions or the situation,” a rep for the company tells Rolling Stone, saying that an White admitted in court documents to planting Monsanto seed.

The company pointed to a blog posted on its website, entitled “Correcting The Monsanto Years.” The title is a reference to Young’s The Monsanto Years, a nine-song multimedia project on environmental and ecological themes that name-checks the giant St. Louis-based company. 

 “Although they have tended to get a lot of attention, lawsuits between us and farmers who plant seeds without paying for them are actually very rare,” the company continues. “Every year, hundreds of thousands of farmers plant our seeds. Since 1997, when we started trying to protect the patents on our seeds, we have gone to trial with a fraction of one percent of those customers. In addition, all of the proceeds we receive from any settlement — including Mr. White’s settlement — are donated to youth leadership initiatives and to support the local communities in which farmers live and work.”

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