Corporate power is often in the hands of the few 'chosen ones.' We knew that. We don't think of corporate power when it comes to agriculture. We still have a rather naive view of the family farmer, passing skills and joy to the next generation...hmm. Not wanting to dig too much on this particular difficult issue of farming in general, my point is specifically addressed to biotech giants buying companies to monopolise the seeds' market. The rise, in the past few years, has been drastic and farmers all over the world face the reality of not having the finances to patent their seeds. Farmers in Africa and South America are particularly affected, but they are not the only ones. The biotech companies patent their plants, then they re-sell the seeds - at a price - restricting choice to farmers. The alternative is to pay them a license fee. How kind.
Furthermore, the increased use of monoculture causes environmental damage.
Pressure groups are campaigning for an end to this patent craze and we can only continue to lobby governments and make them see the existing damage and the potential future damage in monopolozing the food chain.
Since when nature was up for sale anyway?
Well, since the buyers were Monsanto, Buyer, Syngenta, Dow and DuPont...
For more information, you can download the report "The future of seeds and food" at:
http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/images/documents/report_future_of_seed_en.pdf
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