“No one should control Nature. No one should control LIFE
Percy Schmeiser also says in this video:
“This is what a judge ruled. Number one: If you are contaminated, against your wishes by Monsanto’s GMOs, you no longer own your seeds or plants, they become they become the ownership of a corporation, in this case Monsanto. He also ruled we were not allowed to use our seeds or plants again. He also ruled that all of our profit from our 1998 Canola crop goes to Monsanto.”
Here is a two minute clip from a very interesting movie you may wish to watch.
Seems unfair if he didn’t knowingly plant the RoundUp ready crop to have all of that taken away from him. Regarding the engineered seeds though, if a company invested millions developing a product and in this case that product has the capability to reproduce itself with those same engineered characteristics then they should have a right to receive payment and control its use.
Hi Mark
Thanks for your comment. And actually thanks for being one of the few people who respond here on the blog. Funny enough, I get lots of “private” email comments which I consider to be lamentable, because that way of responding misses the point of a blog…a conversation!
So I appreciate you participating in this conversation with me!
You have an interesting perspective on the concept of investment by the big company. Can I play devil’s advocate and present similar situations and see what you might think about them?
Here is one: Lets say Monsanto’s GMO (genetically modified Organism) Canola is so powerful and virulent that it begins to spread like wildfire across the world and every canola plant ever planted becomes in fact, pollinated by the GMO canola and ALL the canola on earth has that DNA now. Does Monsanto now own all the canola crops in the world? Or should be compensated in some manner?
Here is another: What if an organic farmer has invested multiple thousands of dollars investing in everything he can on his farm to make sure his canola is NON-GMO so as to be compliant for his very lucrative organic crop contracts with organic grocers across the world, and the Monsanto GMO canola begins pollinating his crop? Who is to say whose investment should be protected?
One more just for fun: Lets say I have a beautiful white mare named Belle. Belle is in her pasture minding her own business eating away when suddenly the neighbor’s stallion jumps the fence and comes and breeds her and she becomes pregnant. Lets say that stallion is the next Secretariat and his owners have set his stud fees at $50,000 and his foals sell for $100,000? Who owns the foal born next year? What if Mama Belle dies while foaling? The neighbor has spent a lot of money on the DNA of his stallion, but I have only spent a few thousand on my mare.
Thanks for making me think about this problem in more ways.
Seemed unfair was my comment to the judges ruling. Okay now you just went bonkers on me with the what ifs. Whether it’s seeds or chemicals like RoundUp that ride the wind from a farmers sprayer and kill the trees on the land next door, spraying farmer pays retribution.
Regarding the broken fence copulation, I say stallion owner pays for fixing the broken fence and pays the going rate for equine services rendered(assuming she didn’t kick the stallion to death and actually put out). No stud fees, stallion jumped the fence assuming you didn’t lower the fence to 2′ knowing Secretariat was next door and thought Belle was hot to trot! Any fees derived from the foal are split 50-50 but most likely Belle has a better lawyer and the stallion gets screwed. If Belle dies giving birth than the foal stays with you and stallion owner pays to have Belle buried. Gavel sounds…bammm… Court adjourned. Mark
I’ll vote for you if you decide to run. Till then, thanks for playing along.