Genetic engineering

Taking Over for Monsanto, DuPont Hunts Down Farmers for Violating the “Intellectual Property” of GMO Seeds

J.G. Vibes

The Intelhub,

28 November, 2012

What this means exactly is that these companies are actually claiming ownership over the seeds biology, which entitles them to a portion of every single seed that shares specific characteristics with their patent.

The fee that is attached to this patent is transferred onto farmers, and to ensure that farmers everywhere pay up, GMO companies send out police and testing units to farms across the world so they can determine as to whether or not the farmer is using GMO seeds.

Unfortunately, this process gets extremely complicated as a result of the cross pollination that takes place between GMO crops and organic ones. In many cases in the past organic farmers have had their crops tainted with GMO’s, then on top of that they are sued by companies like Monsanto or DuPont for the “privilege” of having their crops randomly and involuntarily pollinated with genetically modified biology.

In the past DuPont has taken a back seat as far as the dirty work is concerned, but now copyright patents for certain organisms are being transferred from Monsanto to DuPont.

According to Bloomberg Business Week:

“The world’s second- biggest seed company, is sending dozens of former police officers across North America to prevent a practice generations of farmers once took for granted.

The provider of the best-selling genetically modified soybean seed is looking for evidence of farmers illegally saving them from harvests for replanting next season, which is not allowed under sales contracts. The Wilmington, Delaware-based company is inspecting Canadian fields and will begin in the U.S. next year, said Randy Schlatter, a DuPont senior manager.”

The fact that we have come to a place in this world where government protected corporations are able to leverage their political influence through intellectual property and tell farmers what they can and cannot do with their own seeds is a very sad predicament.

A research professor at Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources named Charles Benbrook told Buisnessweek That:

“Farmers are never going to get cheap access to these genetically engineered varieties. The biotech industry has trumped the legitimate economic Interests of the farmer again by raising the ante on intellectual property.”

This is a multi-layered racket that has been developing for a very long time, and is now culminating in one of the most dangerous monopolies that this world has ever seen.

J.G. Vibes is the author of an 87 chapter counter culture textbook called Alchemy of the Modern Renaissance, a staff writer and reporter for The Intel Hub and host of a show called Voluntary Hippie Radio. 

 

You can keep up with his work, which includes free podcasts, free e-books & free audiobooks at his website www.aotmr.com