Monsanto hits farmers below the belt. Not contented with being agrichemical-giant Monsanto is taking farmer’s to court over use of their genetically modified seeds. In a case that has surprised the U. S. Federal court agreed to hear the complaint. 90% of soybean farmers across the United States use Monsanto’s GMO seeds, the monopoly is overwhelming and it has the farmers on their knees, saying farmers are not allowed to save the seeds to use for next year’s crops and must buy new seeds each year.
Bowman versus Monsanto Co.
A landmark battle February 19 setting Indiana farmer Vernon Bowman farmer against large corporation Monsanto alleges seed patent infringements in 144 lawsuits against 410 farmers, 56 small farm businesses in 27 states complaining their seeds were only for use during one growing season and the farmers have repeatedly used them. Monsanto who owns 57% of the global commercial seed market which they claim has led to a 329% price increase of their soybean seeds, corn 295% increase per acre to plant.
The United States lost 11,350 farms in 2012 according to the national Agriculture Statistics Service
Monsanto claims the seeds are part of a biological patent seed which are genetically modified to ward off bugs and weeds are a protected invention. Monsanto says the farmers are using them without paying for them, and saying certain strains are now becoming resistant to them. If Monsanto is concerned about boosting food yields then why is it going after the very people who serve to grow it?
Monsanto claims if the patent infringement isn’t protected what’s the incentive for any company to produce better seeds? Number one, the incentive should be to help the farmers grow food for the people of the United States and work in conjuction with them, not against them.
Number two, would be producing seeds that aren’t genetically modified to cause future failure against pests and weeds which has been proven in the past. 56% of the United States farms are still battling drought especially in the corn belt. How is Monsanto helping by monopolizing the seed industry, and over charging farmers? What about crop diversity? One lone bug can come in and wipe out a complete strain of crop, diversity prevents that from happening.
Farmers have harvested seeds from previous crops for centuries
Monsanto is making the centuries old practice illegal. The United States Supreme Court wants to hear the patent infringement case in light of the fact the farmers have paid for the original seed and the practice of using them for the next year’s crops is nothing new.
Monsanto claims it’s a planting crime
Monsanto says their seeds are being used illegally since the farmers didn’t purchase for subsequent crops, and the raging giant corporation is stampeding the farmers in the lower courts. The company says it’s only protecting its business interests to provide hardier seeds to boost food yields.
Not eco-friendly seeds
Bill Freese senior scientist and activist for Center For Food Safety replied the “Monsanto better seed crop yields” as fictitious. “Most major new seed crop varieties owe their wealth to public funding agriculture research and breeding.”
The agrichemical company argued their patented seeds are leading to environmental improvements but reports show 36 more chemicals are being used on GMO fields more than non-GMO fields according to USDA data. A decline in crop diversity is noted because of the giant corporations who own a majority of the seed strains is being used.
In the western part of the U.S. since 2006 grassland is being converted to grow soybeans and corn
That's 1.3 million acres to date. Thats astounding to say the least, such numbers haven't been employed and grasslands ate up by industrial farming since the 20's and 30's shortly before the Dust Bowl of the forties. Such rapid land use transfer is detrimental to the ecosystem and Monsanto is the only one who stands to profit from the demise of the land making it susceptible to drought and erosion. Now almost half of the crops grown in the United States is soybeans and corn.
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