Australia
April 8, 2015
The legal dispute between Steve Marsh and Michael Baxter has been difficult for the families and communities involved. It is regrettable that neighbours and friends ended up in court and it is the last thing anyone in Australian agriculture wants to see.
Monsanto Australia’s Managing Director, Daniel Kruithoff said, “Although we were not a party to the litigation, we respect Michael and Zanthe Baxter’s choice to defend themselves. Their neighbour initiated a legal claim against them when they were responsibly growing a safe and legal crop, as was clearly established in the Supreme Court’s verdict.
“Both farmers were entitled to seek support for this legal dispute so that their arguments could be heard in court. It was only fair that the Baxters received much needed support given the extensive fundraising efforts of Steve Marsh’s supporters. Monsanto Australia contributed to the Baxter’s legal costs to ensure they could defend themselves in court,” Daniel said.
Monsanto’s indemnity agreement with the Baxter’s strictly limited its support to contributing to their legal costs. Monsanto had no control over the management of the case.
“We are passionate about farming and our customers, and we care about their wellbeing which is why we provided the Baxters with support to defend themselves. We have not previously disclosed our support for the Baxters so that this legal dispute remained focused on the factual and legal issues of the case,” Daniel said.
Organic, conventional and GM crops have been grown side-by-side in Australia for many years which has contributed to the competitiveness and sustainability of local farmers and Monsanto expects this to continue.
Topics
Species
