Agrochemical company Monsanto Co. (MON) is the worlds largest supplier of GM seeds.
Monsanto's bread and butter for years has been its Roundup family of herbicides. But the patent on the chief ingredient expired in the U.S. four years ago, and the company has been attempting to shift its business focus to seeds and biotechnology traits for corn, soybeans, and other crops.
Monsanto is throwing in the towel in Europe. Canadian farmers are campaigning against licensing Monsanto's GM wheat, the company is also facing severe resistance in North America.
I will not be one to shed a tear for their difficulties because I don't like the idea of one company holding everyone by the neck.
Before GM seeds, farmers could grow a crop, keeping some seeds from the current crop for next years planting. With GM seeds, farmers are not permitted to keep their own seeds, the result is farmers have to buy new seeds from Monsanto for next years spring planting, thus guarenteeing MON a good spring sale. Basically, you need a license to plant GM seeds.
Kem Ralph of Covington, Tennessee is believed to be the first farmer to have gone to jail for saving and replanting Monsanto's Roundup Ready soy seed in 1998. Ralph spent four months behind bars and must also pay the company 1.8 million dollars in penalties.GM seeds have been genetically engineered (GE) to kill bugs and resist ill-effects from the herbicide glyphosate. (Roundup).
Under U.S. patent law, a farmer commits an offense even if they unknowingly plant Monsanto's seeds without purchasing them from the company.
In the well-known case of Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser, pollen from a neighbor's GE canola fields and seeds that blew off trucks on their way to a processing plant ended up contaminating his fields with Monsanto's genetics.
The trial court ruled that no matter how the GE plants got there, Schmeiser had infringed on Monsanto's legal rights when he harvested and sold his crop. After a six-year legal battle, Canada's Supreme Court ruled that while Schmeiser had technically infringed on Monsanto's patent, he did not have to pay any penalties.
North Dakota farmer, Tom Wiley, explains the situation this way: "Farmers are being sued for having GMOs on their property that they did not buy, do not want, will not use and cannot sell."
So why don't farmers just buy non-GE seed? North Dakota farmer Rodney Nelson says there is actually very little conventional seed left to buy anymore because seed dealers don't make nearly as much money from them.
Monsanto charges technology use fees ranging from 6.25 dollars per bag for soy to an average of 230 dollars for cotton -- more than three times the cost of conventional cotton seed. The company argues these fees are necessary to recoup its research investment.
I think it is wrong for any corporation to have this much power over our food supply. What if China decided to come and bid for Monsato, who is going to admit that they aren't the friend the Senate believes them to be? What could you or I do to prevent the sale if an appointed three member board of foreigners for Free Trade decided that our courts rulings were too restrictive and therefore unjustified?
America once stood for individual Independence, I'm sad to say, not any more.
ping
Very informative analysis. Thank you.
B4Ranch:
I always enjoy your posts. I learn a lot from you! While GM seeds don't bother me in the least (I'm an Heirloom seed buff, and Mother Nature has been genetically modifying herself since time began) I agree with you about Monsanto cornering the market and dominating our food supply.
Irish Potato Famine, Anyone?