Documentary Description
The American biotechnology firm, Monsanto, has applied for a patent
for pig breeding in 160 countries. The patent is for specific parts of
the genetic material of pigs which Monsanto’s genetic researchers have
decoded. If this patent is granted, pig breeding would be possible with
the approval of the company.
Farmers and breeders are naturally alarmed because these genes have
long existed in the great majority of their pigs. Using DNA tests they
can prove that there is no new invention in the patent applications but
that, instead, granting this patent would be to allow a part of nature
to fall into the hands of a single company.
Monsanto’s influence on the patent offices is huge. If the patent is
approved, money will have to be paid to Monsanto for every pig in the
world carrying this genetic marker. This has long been the case for
certain feedstuffs, such as genetically modified maize. Many farmers in
the US have already become dependent on the company. It is not merely a
question of money, however, but also a question of the risk posed to
consumers. In America, as in Europe, cases of infertility in animals
fed with genetically modified maize are becoming increasingly common.
No-one yet knows what effects such products are having on humans.
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