If it is in monsanto's interest, call it 'Farmer Assurance Provision', but if the farmer replants his own crop seeds, Monsanto sues him.
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http://rt.com/usa/monsanto-congress-silently-slips-830/
The US House of Representatives quietly passed a last-minute addition to the Agricultural Appropriations Bill for 2013 last week - including a provision protecting genetically modified seeds from litigation in the face of health risks.
The rider, which is officially known as the Farmer Assurance Provision, has been derided by opponents of biotech lobbying as the “Monsanto Protection Act,” as it would strip federal courts of the authority to immediately halt the planting and sale of genetically modified (GMO) seed crop regardless of any consumer health concerns.
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The United States Supreme Court justices heard arguments on Tuesday involving the case of a 75-year-old soybean farmer who is being sued for patent infringement by biotech giant Monsanto.
Monsanto, a billion-dollar biotechnology corporation perhaps best known for marketing cutting-edge agricultural products, says Mr. Bowman infringed on a patent it holds when he re-planted genetically modified “Roundup Ready” seeds manufactured by the company. Those seeds have been created by Monsanto to be resistant to pesticides and are reported by the Associated Press to be on around 90 percent of soybean farms in Indiana. Bowman says his use of the product shouldn’t concern the company, however, since he is accused of simply replanting seeds from an earlier crop.
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Monsanto is ready to shelve its $1-billion claim against DuPont for what they called an infringement of their 'Roundup Ready' soybean patent. DuPont, in turn, promised to stop calling Monsanto a monopoly power that stifles innovation.
Genetically engineered foods are portrayed as safe in both companies' national advertising campaigns. However, critics claim that GM products may cause health disorders, infertility or even cancer. Dozens of countries around the world have banned or restricted GM imports.
In the US, however, GM foods have become a part of public policy, with Monsanto and DuPont lobbyists having a strong influence in Congress – their latest move was the 'Monsanto Protection Act,' adopted this week.
French anti-globalization leader Jose Bove rips up genetically modified soybean plants being grown by the US company Monsanto in the city of Nao-Me-Toque in southern Brazil (AFP Photo/Mauricio Lima)
Genetically engineered foods are portrayed as safe in both companies' national advertising campaigns. However, critics claim that GM products may cause health disorders, infertility or even cancer. Dozens of countries around the world have banned or restricted GM imports.
French anti-globalization leader Jose Bove rips up genetically modified soybean plants being grown by the US company Monsanto in the city of Nao-Me-Toque in southern Brazil (AFP Photo/Mauricio Lima)
French anti-globalization leader Jose Bove rips up genetically modified soybean plants being grown by the US company Monsanto in the city of Nao-Me-Toque in southern Brazil (AFP Photo/Mauricio Lima)
French anti-globalization leader Jose Bove rips up genetically modified soybean plants being grown by the US company Monsanto in the city of Nao-Me-Toque in southern Brazil (AFP Photo/Mauricio Lima)
============http://rt.com/business/monstano-dupont-seed-battle-910/
Monsanto is ready to shelve its $1-billion claim against DuPont for what they called an infringement of their 'Roundup Ready' soybean patent. DuPont, in turn, promised to stop calling Monsanto a monopoly power that stifles innovation.
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http://rt.com/usa/monsanto-seeds-trial-bowman-123/
Seed giant Monsanto has won more than $23 million from hundreds of small farmers accused of replanting the company’s genetically engineered seeds. Now, another case is looming – and it could set a landmark precedent for the future of seed ownership.
The lawsuits concern Monsanto’s patent rights as the company strives to prevent farmers from replanting crops grown from the company’s seeds. It’s a concept that a study published on Tuesday – titled 'Seed Giants vs. US Farmers' – referred to as creating a “seed oligarchy.”
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Protesters against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are chained to a vehicle as they block a delivery entrance to a Monsanto seed distribution facility in Oxnard, California September 12, 2012 (Reuters / Mario Anzuoni)
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