Monsanto ran an anonymous tip line and sued farmers for replanting its seeds
Subject of this story
Also named
Advocate Center for Food Safety
01 · What happened
Monsanto (now part of Bayer) operated an anonymous seed-piracy tip line and investigated and sued farmers over saving and replanting patented seed, according to reporting by the Washington Post, Investigate Midwest and NPR. The Center for Food Safety has compiled case counts and settlement figures on Monsanto's investigations and farmer settlements in its own published reports.
02 · Sources · 2
The Washington Post
Independent reporting confirming Monsanto's practice of suing farmers over seed-saving.
Investigate Midwest
Confirms the anonymous tip-line number and investigator practices independently.
03 · Response
Monsanto (now part of Bayer)
Not yet contacted for this story.
04 · What happened next · 1
Apr 18, 2025Progress
In a Bayer/Monsanto seed-saving suit, U.S. District Judge John A. Ross granted summary judgment against Missouri soybean farmer Caleb Duffy, awarding $549,500 in liquidated damages and permanently barring him from saving or replanting seed with Bayer's patented traits. Source ↗