The practice of using renewal seeds dates back to ancient times, but Monsanto seeks to collect massive royalties and put an end to the practice. Why? Because Monsanto owns the very patent to the genetically modified seed, and is charging the farmers not only for the original crops, but the later harvests as well. Eventually, the royalties compound and many farmers begin to struggle with even keeping their farm afloat. It is for this reason that India slammed Monsanto with groundbreaking ‘biopiracy’ charges in an effort to stop Monsanto from ‘patenting life’.
Jane Berwanger, a lawyer for the farmers who went on record regarding the case, told the Associted Press:
“Monsanto gets paid when it sell the seeds. The law gives producers the right to multiply the seeds they buy and nowhere in the world is there a requirement to pay (again). Producers are in effect paying a private tax on production.”
The findings echo what thousands of farmers have experienced in particularly poor nations, where many of the farmers are unable to stand up to Monsanto. Back in 2008, the Daily Mail covered what is known as the ‘GM Genocide’, which is responsible for taking the lives of over 17,683 Indian farmers in 2009 alone. After finding that their harvests were failing and they started to enter economic turmoil, the farmers began ending their own lives — oftentimes drinking the very same insecticide that Monsanto provided them with.
As the information continues to surface on Monsanto’s crimes, further lawsuits will begin to take effect. After it was ousted in January that Monsanto was running illegal ‘slave-like’ working rings, more individuals became aware of just how seriously Monsanto seems to disregard their workers — so why would they care for the health of their consumers? In April, another group of farmers sued Monsanto for ‘knowingly poisoning’ workers and causing ‘devastating birth defects’.
Will endless lawsuits from millions of seriously affected individuals be the end of Monsanto?
sources naturalresource
I hope so
ReplyDeleteplease yes! the end of Monsanto
ReplyDeletebankruptcy for Monsanto! Jail them all!
ReplyDeletePower to the people. Public health, biodiversity and agricultural sustainability over corporate profitability.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Paul. Corporations can be inappropriate or appropriate when they make decisions about public health, biodiversity and agricultural maintainability. I do not disagree with a corporation making a profit, after all they are not non-profit organizations. What I abhor is the high level of greed and the demands within management to grow profits well above what is humane.
ReplyDeleteHow do people work at Monsanto and just carry on with their lives normally.
ReplyDeleteI hope so too...
ReplyDeleteIdiots. What person in their right mind would sign an agreement to pay royalties in perpetuity like this. Obviously, they thought they were getting something for nothing at first. India is in a shambles of their own making. Rapes, suicides, caste system issues, muslim, hindu and christian issues... the list goes on. Nice to be able to place blame outside of their borders. Reminds me of the USA's current leadership. Never their fault either.
ReplyDeleteDon't you understand the farmers' situation? When Monsanto first came up with the gmo seeds, farmers whose low productivity seeds couldn't compete with them had to sign contracts with Monsanto. Then once Monsanto have practically the entire farmer population under their control they could raise prices like nobody's buisness and bankrupt everyone. Some farmers accidentally grew "Monsanto" plants when seeds from neighbouring farms spread to their farms so Monsanto sued them.
ReplyDeleteThe people at Monsanto are evil.
No one put a gun to the farmers head and forced them to buy their seed from Monsanto. There are a lot of good seed companies out there. A farmer has to take personal responsability for the busness decisions he makes.
ReplyDeleteI dunno if you are a farmer or not, but if i'm not mistaken, Monsanto has the largest seed monopoly of the entire world. Some farmers will only be able to hear of that due to word of mouth, and the advertising monsanto is doing. You have to look at all angles. You say personal responsibility? They took it with their lives. How about the responsibility of Monsanto of taking measures so that farmers do the same. Look at all angles.
ReplyDeletecompany that poisons the world systematically deserves to be brought down.
ReplyDeleteThese Indian farmers are basically uneducated and have small land holdings. They are not like big time North American farmers. Monsanto went to them promising better crops and pest control without spelling out the long term implications of buying their seeds and chemicals. It is very complex business as well between countries and these poor farmers are caught in the middle.
ReplyDelete