The story of Percy Schmeiser is a well known tale of big biotech against the little farmer from rural Saskatchewan. Schmeiser grew canola, and his outstanding harvests were due to herbicide tolerant seeds that he grew himself from materials obtained from means other than purchase. This violation of patent rights became the fodder of activist organizations, and a test of how a large company would respond to an unlicensed use of their technology. Schmeiser became the darling of anti-GMO activists, and he became the figurehead of a conversation about technology, patents, farmers’ rights, and seed sovereignty. This week’s podcast analyzes the film Percy vs. Goliath, a film that attempts to tell Schmeiser’s story. But what was accurate and what was fictionalized in the film?  I spoke with Trish Jordan, who at the time was a communications lead at the Monsanto Corporation and followed the story very closely. She had a front-row seat for the legal proceedings and provides her analysis of the film’s veracity.

Follow Trish on Twitter: @AggieCoolChick
IMDB page for Percy vs. Goliath

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.