IT READS like a Hollywood movie script.
An organic farmer doing battle in the Supreme Court after his livelihood was allegedly destroyed by the genetically modified (GM) canola seeds that blew onto his land.
Western Australian farmer Steve Marsh is suing his neighbour, Michael Baxter, for negligence after the GM canola seeds from the adjacent property allegedly contaminated his organic crop in 2010.
The Kojonup farmer said he lost 70 per cent of his organic certification after the alleged incident.
And as he took to the Western Australian Supreme Court on Monday, his supporters in Mandurah rallied behind him.
“What he’s standing for now will have a world-wide impact – he had to work for three years to get his farm certified as organic and the GM seeds ruined that,” local organic food store owner Tamara Deans said.
On Friday Ms Deans, who owns Dynamic Organic on Gibson Street, threw a fundraiser to raise awareness of the case.
The $650 raised by Dynamic Organic was donated to the Steve Marsh Benefit Fund, an internet appeal for financial aid for Mr Marsh.
Mr Marsh had achieved organic certification from the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA), which has a zero-tolerance for GM farming.
“We have invested a lot of work, time and money over the past decade to become organically certified and help develop our markets,'' he said.
“As a result of this GM canola contamination of our land, and all the ramifications of that, we have now suffered great financial hardship and an uncertain future.”
Mr Marsh is being represented by legal firm Slater & Gordon, and the firm’s Commercial and Project Litigation lawyer Mark Walter said the trial was a landmark case.
“As far as we know, this is the first court case of its type anywhere in the world,” Mr Walter said.
“The case is about freedom of choice, for both farmers and for consumers. It is important that farmers retain their rights to farm GM-free food as this in turn will protect consumers' ability to purchase GM-free food."
Mr Marsh will be one of up to 20 witnesses called in the trial, which has been conducted as a public interest case.
