Deal with the Devil: Monsanto Headed to Supreme Court in Case Against Its Own Growers

Tim McCoy

The case of Vernon Bowman v Monsanto is headed to the Supreme Court, a case in which Monsanto is fighting against one of its own GMO farmers. Mr. Bowman is a farmer from Indiana who grows soybeans, and has challenged the biotech giant over its official agreement.

Bowman started buying Monsanto’s GMO soybeans in 1999 and signed the Monsanto Technology Stewardship Agreement (MTSA), which is detailed below. Bowman adhered to the MTSA for these seed purchases and did not save the seeds for replanting in subsequent years, per the contract. 

However, in 2007 Bowman bought some seeds from a grain elevator that contained Monsanto’s GMO soy seeds in the mixture that he used for a late-season second planting.