"A landmark lawsuit filed on March 29 in US federal court seeks to invalidate Monsanto’s patents on genetically modified seeds and to prohibit the company from suing those whose crops become genetically contaminated.
"The Public Patent Foundation filed suit on behalf of 270,000 people from sixty organic and sustainable businesses and trade associations, including thousands of certified-organic farmers. In Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association, et al. v. Monsanto, et al. (U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, Case No. 11 CIV 2163), PUBPAT details the invalidity of any patent that poisons people and the environment, and that is not useful to society, two hallmarks of US patent law.
"'As Justice Story wrote in 1817, to be patentable, an invention must not be 'injurious to the well being, good policy, or sound morals of society,' notes the complaint in its opening paragraphs, citing Lowell v. Lewis.
"The suit points to studies citing harm caused by Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, including human placental damage, lymphoma, myeloma, animal miscarriages, and other impacts on human health."
A key issue in this suit is whether Monsanto has suppressed research into the public safety of its products.
An often overlooked feature of MMT is its primary focus on the availability of real resources as the true concern of economics and economic policy. This involves sustainability and negative externalities, in addition to production.
great post tom
ReplyDeletethe nanotechnology institutes have specific departments which are basically pre-abatement centers
they are monitoring the pursuit and the products of nanotechnology for potential side-effects on people, places and things before they are real time problems
looks like monsanto too big to have done that, or if they did and did not tell anyone ...
Tom, As I understand what Monsanto is doing with the "Roundup Ready" stuff:
ReplyDeleteThey own the herbicide "Roundup" it kills everything.
So what they then do is GM a say alfalfa plant to be "immune" to round-up. Then when a farmer plants an alfalfa field, in order to have a pure (weed-free) crop the farmer goes out and applies Roundup over the whole field in order to destroy the weeds but leave the alfalfa.
This apparently increases agricultural productivity and "quality", (no weeds in feed, but yes Roundup).
Monsanto (only) sells the seeds for the GM alfalfa and Ive heard stories (on internet) where Monsanto will press a lawsuit against a farmer who saves some of his GM alfalfa for seed crop the following year instead of buying the Monsanto seeds.... some farmers do not want anything to do with this but pollen from an adjacent field of the GM can contaminate their crop, etc.. and there is fear of genetic extinction of non-modified species of plants, etc..
I think Dow Chemical has efforts on the same area, there are probably others in Europe..
A real mess. It looks like they think they have figured out a way to put one of their "meters" on the actual production of our food at the genetic level. Turn the previously righteous industry of agriculture into another FIRE sector as far as it's ability to leech off of the rest of humanity.
Resp,
As for the monoculture of Argentina, I can say with certainty that when I propose these arguments to Argentine farmers who use Monsanto, they say I am wrong.
ReplyDeleteThey love Monsanto since they don't have to farm anymore. Less water, less pesticide, and less worry. Of course they don't care about the residual effects since they are making the "plata" i.e. the money.
When they all rushed to GM soybeans which ALL of Argentina's soy is GM now, they had a problem to rotate crops and they blistered their fields with round up and other herbicides to stop the GM from growing because it was time to rotate. It didn't work.
All Soy from Argentina is GM. It ships around the world to feed lots and probably it's what Chinese eat every day.
Matt: "It looks like they think they have figured out a way to put one of their "meters" on the actual production of our food at the genetic level. Turn the previously righteous industry of agriculture into another FIRE sector as far as it's ability to leech off of the rest of humanity."
ReplyDeleteThat's the plan. So far it is working great with the full force of the US government behind it. Countries that object get whacked by Uncle.
Goog,
ReplyDeleteDo you know how the Roundup works chemically? What does it attack in the plants? what is it 'made of' etc..? Is it toxic?
Resp,
round up is designed to stop weeds so you can rotate your crops -... I think / thought.
ReplyDeletethe problem is that GM Soy is a super weed after a while and you cannot stop it growing.
so you either blast the stuff with round up which sterilizes the natural flora bacteria which keep the soils fertile OR you cannot rotate and then you have do some engineering for your mono weed which is ripping the soil unbalanced.
maybe it's hype, but the farmers in Argentina love it. they only care about the Chicago mercantile exchange and watching the prices of their food lots.
i can find out though maybe
If Monsanto loses its patent, then they will become public domain, right?
ReplyDeleteWhich means the price of GM crops will fall and consumption rise.
Is that good?
This is going to be a rising issue as technology deepens and broadens, especially genetic manipulation. Expect laws and black markets.
ReplyDelete