27 Feb 12 Last week a French court found the multinational
biotech corporation Monsanto guilty of poisoning a French
farmer, in a landmark ruling hailed as a breakthrough in the
fight against chemical pesticides and herbicides in farming. "It
is a historic decision in so far as it is the first time that a
(herbicide) maker is found guilty of such a poisoning," said
Maître Francois Lafforgue, François' lawyer. In 2004, cereal
farmer Paul François accidentally inhaled fumes from Monsanto’s
Lasso weed-killer. He later had to give up his farm after
suffering neurological and muscular problems including fainting
fits, memory-loss, headaches and stammering, and his body was
found to contain significant traces of monochlorobenzene, a
toxic component of the product not mentioned on its main label
or packaging. Monsanto will now face a multi-million dollar
compensation ruling later this year. "What happened to François
is a tragic reminder of our imperative to promote an alternative
model of agriculture that is health