Seed Patents Are Unethical

490 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Genetically modified foods vs natural foods

Seed Patents Are Unethical

Within the past 5 years seed companies like Monsanto, Syngenta, and Bayer have been dictating the seed industry. These companies have been trying to patent their seed so that farmers cannot save regrow the seed the following year. Many farmers have been fighting these companies’ patents because they think they are unethical. Seed patents are unethical because there would be no seed monopolies, there would be no argument between companies and farmers on who owns the seed, there would be no use of genetically modified seed preventing farmers from reusing their seed.

One of the biggest seed monopolies in the United States is Monsanto. Control of the seed industry is passing into fewer and fewer hands and Monsanto’s are the biggest. More than 80% of US corn and more than 90% of soybeans planted each year are attributable to Monsanto and monopoly comes to mind (gmeducation.org). Monopolization of the seed supply has led to major problems for farmers. One being that farmers have fewer choices between companies and varieties. Second farmers have to pay a lot more because that one company is dictating the seed industry. …show more content…

The seed is owned by the farmers. Farmers are the ones that raise the seed, and spend all that money on the seed to get it to produce at its highest level. Companies should not be able to patent the seed they sell. A seed is not an invention. That is why patents on seeds are illegitimate. Even in a genetically engineered crop, the original seed comes from farmers (seedfreedom.info). Companies that think they own the farmer’s seed have been sueing the farmers because they don't want them reusing it, but the farmer is the one who own the

Show More
Related

  • Critical Analysis Of Monsanto's Harvest Of Fear?

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    Monsanto scrutinizes neighboring farms, practicing their right to enforce their patent and contract. What they take into account and chose to ignore is that their genetic product is natural and cannot be controlled completely. Monsanto’s patent allows them to prosecute neighboring farms for any concentration of their patented genetic code in their crops, regardless of whether a farmer knowingly involved themselves in infringement or was the victim of natural pollination. Barlett and Steele cite the increasing number of legal cases and settlements as means of pressuring contracted farmers to follow procedure and of allegedly pressuring uncontracted farmers to sign with Monsanto to avoid

    Read More

  • Swot Analysis Monsanto

    264 Words  | 1 Pages

    Monsanto is for a lot of people the great evil in the agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology because of the genetically engineered (GE) seeds, field where the company is the leader worldwide. The number in this industry has been growing pretty fast and the expectations for 2020 are very positive, with a 250 Billion US Dollars industry.

    Read More

  • Case Study: Monsanto Company

    1585 Words  | 4 Pages

    Monsanto Company are a public American multinational agricultural and agrochemical biotechnology corporation who leads in the production of genetically engineered seeds. Founded by John Queeny in 1901, the organization initially produced industrial chemicals such as sulphuric acid and plastics, including polystyrene and synthetic fibres. It was not until 1983, where the company was among the first to genetically modify a plant cell and conduct field trials of genetically modified crops. This scientific breakthrough shifted the company 's corporate focus towards the agricultural industry with the implementation of biotechnology. The company’s primary line of products consist of herbicides and genetically modified seeds.1

    Read More

  • Monsanto Argumentative Essay

    385 Words  | 1 Pages

    These are only few examples of the many lawsuits that have been filed against Monsanto since its creation in

    Read More

  • Roundup

    2454 Words  | 5 Pages

    "If you read Wall Street’s reports, they don’t talk of soya bean as originating in China. They don’t talk of soya bean as soya bean. They talk of Monsanto soya. Monsanto soya is protected by a patent. It has a patent number. It is therefore treated as a creation of Monsanto, a product of Monsanto’s intelligence and innovation." – Vandana Shiva (Barsamian, 1997)

    Read More

  • Monsanto Company Essay

    1956 Words  | 4 Pages

    In an argument, the lawyer representing Monsanto Company stated that the amount of arable land around the world is quickly dwindling. This means that it is time to take extra drastic measures to improve food safety throughout the world. Genetically modified seeds and related chemicals offer the best solution for such food safety concerns and thus the company was right to make such investments. This idea comes from recent realization of a robust population boom throughout the world, an inability for traditional agricultural practices and seeds to withstand changing climatic systems. Modification of the seed’s genetic material to withstand climatic and other environmental threats seems to be a viable solution to the challenge.

    Read More

  • GMO Labeling Essay

    1763 Words  | 4 Pages

    The word GMO stands for Genetically-Modified Organism and can also be referred to as Genetically Engineered foods, Genetically Modified Foods, and Biotech. Genetically engineered foods are created when one desired trait is isolated and introduced to another plant by inserting the certain gene. The process, considered genetic breeding, and is much more precise than the regular breeding. While GMOs have been in food for 20 years, currently, the controversy and genetically engineered farms are larger than ever. 82% of Americans want GMOs labeled, but majority fail to understand them (Swanson). 90% of all US grown corn, canola, soybeans, and sugar beets have DNA bits from the lab (Woolston). The United States is the top GMO growing country with 70 million hectares of land dedicated to these farms. (Lee). These modified crops and plants for human and animals are created mainly for withstand herbicides or to produce an insectide. “No GMO traits are on the market for bigger yields, drought resistance, enhanced nutrition or any other consumer benefit” (Burnham). Overall, GE foods’ main purpose is to save money for large corporations.

    Read More

  • Roundup Ready Crops

    1941 Words  | 4 Pages

    Kruft, David. “Impacts Of Genetically-Modified Crops and Seeds on Farmers”. The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center. The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University, Nov. 2001. Web. 29 Apr. 2014

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Monsanto

    1091 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everyone has likely already heard the name Monsanto, the largest seed distributor in the world. Nearly fifty percent of all seeds in the world are owned by only three corporations. These companies account for trillions in fertilizer, pesticide, seed patents and herbicide sales annually. These companies have been building a seed empire within the food industry for over thirty years now and they have plans to patent every seed with biotechnology. Thoreau wrote in his book, “The condition of the operatives is becoming every day more like that of the English; and it cannot be wondered at, since, as far as I have heard or observed, the principal object is, not that mankind may be well and honestly clad, but, unquestionably, that the corporations

    Read More

  • What Is The Fall Of Argentina Essay

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...to be resistant to the company's own Roundup herbicide This means that farmers are utterly dependent on Monsanto; a situation similar as with the United States. The biggest adversaries of GM soybeans are environmentalist. For example, floods are happening because of soya farming in the region of Santa Fe and Chaco where the Salado River begins. The deforestation and the low permeability of the soil used in soya farming contributed to more channeling more water into the river. On the other side, people claim that GM crops are required to fight hunger in poor and developing countries. Evidence shows otherwise. GM crops have increased the use of pesticides while increasing poverty. Over 170,000 famers have had to quit on their lands because they couldn’t compete with big GM farmers, thus leading to more poverty. Also, herbicides have introduced new health problems.

    Read More

  • Business Ethics Case Study: Monsanto Attempts To Balance Stakeholders

    437 Words  | 1 Pages

    GM seeds are considered revolution in the agriculture industry for some reasons. First and foremost, GM seeds can grow crops regardless of hostile conditions, which help farmers increase revenues. Besides, as a result of population growth across the global, the demand for food continuously increases. Biotech products provided by the Monsanto Company will be the best solution for this phenomenon. Especially in populous countries like India, biotech crops allow farmers both save lands and double their harvest.

    Read More

  • Problems of the Food System

    2097 Words  | 5 Pages

    Print. The. Monsanto uses patent law to control most of the U.S. corn, soy seed market. " Cleveland National News - "The 'Clean'" N.p., n.d. Web.

    Read More

  • Seed Of Death Film Analysis

    778 Words  | 2 Pages

    Some of the big producers of GMOs are Monsanto, Dow, Bayer, Syngenth, and Dupont. Not only are these companies producing genetically

    Read More

  • An Argument for Farmers Needing Help

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are now ways of technology that help make a more productive crop. This makes the prices increase. For instance, there are now “round-up ready” seed. This seed has extra technology put into it. This reduces the price of some chemicals, but not much.

    Read More

  • Growing Demand for Non-GMO Foods: Risks and Benefits

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is evident that the majority of American farmers utilize biotech seeds, because of the risks that the insect resistant and herbicide resistant traits help reduce. GMO's make the life of a farmer much easier as they do not have to worry about rushing to spray herbicides, to keep weeds out, or worrying about insects damaging crops and having to spray pesticides. For instance, Brian Scott a farmer in Indiana, when corn root worms starts indulging on his organic crops, the worms will cause a significant damage before he can react accordingly and eliminate the problem with the use of chemicals. These corn root worms won't affect Scott's insect resistant GMO corn because the pesticide is always in the plant. In addition, the GM corn was created only to harm a small group of insects and this allows for other beneficial insects to survive and assist the crops, since Scott did not have to spray pesticides. Farmers use GM crops mainly because of a reliability issue, not only are biotech plants easier to maintain, but they are less likely to cause a devastating loss. To a point where even insurance companies will provide farmers with lower premiums. Troy Rausch, another Indiana farmer, states "... when you're delayed by a couple weeks by rain like we were this year, the GM traits come in awfully handy for weed control". The GM traits are of much benefit to Rausch as they eliminate the need for him to utilize his time and combat against pesky weeds. The use of GMO's in the agricultural space eliminates many risks that would be common in conventionally bred

    Read More

More about Seed Patents Are Unethical

Open Document