He became an international symbol and spokesperson for independent farmers' rights and the regulation of transgenic crops during his protracted legal battle with multinational agrichemical company Monsanto.

In 1997, Schmeiser found volunteer canola plants and a number of weeds growing along the road in one of his fields.

Schmeiser surprisingly found that a number of these volunteer canola plants had survived after the spring burn, potentially meaning they had developed a resistance to chemicals.

When he then harvested that crop approximately 90 days later, the thought that any other part of his field may be contaminated with Roundup Ready canola was the furthest thing from his mind.

[2] Without Schmeiser's permission or knowledge, Monsanto trespassed onto his fields and took samples of his canola plants during the first stage of germination.

Schmeiser continued to face threats and harassment from Robertson Investigations;[3] a firm hired by Monsanto to enforce their patent.

[5] Ultimately, in a split decision from the Supreme Court of Canada, Schmeiser won a 9–0 ruling that he did not have to pay Monsanto their technology-use fee, damages, or costs.

[7][8][9] On August 11, 1999, Schmeiser filed a separate lawsuit against Monsanto for ten million dollars for "libel, trespass, and contamination of his fields with Roundup Ready Canola".

In 2007, Percy Schmeiser and Louise Schmeiser were named winners of the Right Livelihood Award: ... for their courage in defending biodiversity and farmers' rights, and challenging the environmental and moral perversity of current interpretations of patent laws.

Now we are going back to a feudal system that they left because they were not free—basically we are becoming serfs of the land.Farmers should be concerned about this judgment as they now may lose their ability to continue with this practice.

I will continue to support any efforts to strengthen the rights of a farmer to save and re-use his own seed.