Yet another Patent problem. ********************************** Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles. Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 818 352-4141 **********************************
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Darryl or Natalia > Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 4:15 PM > To: futurework; Lawrence de Bivort > Subject: [Futurework] Monsanto and world crops conrol > > I meant to send this out a few days ago. A significant court > ruling took > place on May 03, putting a halt on Monsanto's GM line of > alfalfa seeds > and plantings, pending a comprehensive report ordered on > same. Monsanto > says it's about choice, yet has spent the last ten years, and 9 > billion > dollars buying out larger seed producers, all but forcing > farmers to buy > their seeds and herbicides while systematically wiping out > competition. > Like when they force someone carrying their line to provide at > least 70% > Monsanto product, disabling even other GM seed producers. > Just like > software. > > It's a long read, packed full of criminal activity, and "as much > about > engineering the market as about engineering the crops > themselves." Yes, > they want it all. And they're almost there, given what they've > unleashed > upon the world. > > Natalia > > MONSANTO'S WAR AGAINST NATURE > > HIGH COUNTRY NEWS - Monsanto, the storied, St. Louis- > based chemical > company. Monsanto not only manufactures Roundup, but also > genetically > engineered the Roundup-resistant gene into [alfalfa]. Today, > "Roundup > Ready" alfalfa is planted on some 220,000 acres nationwide. . . > > On May 3, a federal district judge banned the sale or planting > of > Roundup Ready alfalfa until the U.S. Department of Agriculture > conducts > a full environmental impact statement on the crop. It is the > first time > such a rigorous review has ever been required of a genetically > modified > crop, and the ruling could have significant implications for all > such > crops, which now cover the vast majority of the nation's > farmland. > > Over the past decade, genetic engineering has profoundly > transformed > American agriculture. Monsanto stands at the forefront of that > endeavor. > Today, roughly half of the U.S. corn crop, three quarters of the > cotton, > and 85 percent of the soybeans are genetically modified in > some way. . . > > The legal fight over Roundup Ready alfalfa attests to just how > far > Monsanto's massive foray into crop genetics has reached - and > it is just > one piece of a pair of larger, interrelated controversies in > which the > company is now entangled. > > One centers on the environmental impacts of genetically > modified crops. > Evidence is mounting that such crops, which were introduced > after > undergoing only cursory review, have led to the appearance of > "superweeds" that have themselves mutated to survive Roundup > herbicide > and threaten to impose new costs on farmers and the > environment. And, > while the long-term human health implications of those > transformed crops > are still not understood, there are reports that Monsanto's > proprietary > genes have contaminated traditional and organic crops, > transforming the > very nature of the food we eat. > > But Monsanto is also embroiled in a second controversy. The > company has > intervened not only in the genetic architecture of the nation's > food and > feed crops, but in the very business of American farming itself. > Monsanto now faces mounting legal challenges from its seed- > growing > competitors. It appears that the saga of Roundup Ready crops > is > ultimately less about genetic manipulation than about > corporate power. > Through a comprehensive scheme of takeovers, acquisitions > and alleged > strong-arming of competition, Monsanto is building an empire. > Along the > way, it seems to be erasing the line between what is genetically > engineered and what is not. . . > > <http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=17054>h tt > p://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=17054 > > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > Futurework@fes.uwaterloo.ca > http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list Futurework@fes.uwaterloo.ca http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
