. . . to rescue Indian farmers from the
demented Agribusiness giants:
Opponents of genetically modified crops
received a boost when the Delhi
High Court upheld the Indian Patent Act, which states that seeds and life
forms cannot be patented, and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’
Rights Act, 2001 (PPV&FR Act), which biotechnology multinationals have
tried to undermine, and ruled that key plant genetic material cannot be
patented. The court was deciding a dispute between Monsanto and Nuziveedu Seeds
Ltd, Prabhat Agri Biotech Ltd and Pravardhan Seeds Private Ltd, over
interpretation of law, especially Section 3(j) of the Indian Patent Act and
applicability of PPV&FR Act for transgenic plants.
Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice Yogesh
Khanna, on April 11, ruled that Monsanto Technologies LLC does not have the
patent for Bt Cotton seed varieties ‘Bollgard’ and ‘Bollgard II’. The Bench
permitted Monsanto three months to register the seed varieties under the Plant
Varieties Act (PV Act), which would entitle the firm to trait fee (royalty) as
fixed by the Government, give it control over plant reproductive materials, but
not the key genetic material, which would be available to the public for
further research and development.
The ruling is a boost to domestic seed
companies that used Monsanto’s gene to prepare Bt Cotton seeds for farmers, and
will seriously curb the ability of multinationals to establish a seed monopoly
in India, which is the goal of the GM industry. This could downsize the market
for genetically modified seeds in India (in any life form) and pave the way for
more environmentally sustainable agriculture.
...
The ruling forbids Monsanto from stopping
supplies to seed companies and holding farmers hostage. Monsanto will have to
abide by Indian laws to operate in India. Reluctance will help revive the
native seed industry which has been undermined by the agri-MNCs and their links
with public-funded agricultural institutions that never bothered to assess the
impact of GM seeds on soil, animal and human health.
Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/monsanto-loses-right-to-patent-seeds.html,
via Dr Joseph Farrell, https://gizadeathstar.com/2018/04/gmo-geopolitics-update-monstersanto-loses-patent-rights-in-india/,
opened 7 May 2018
Now,
which State, county, or parish governments in the South are ready to act in
such a decisive manner to save Southern farmers from Monsanto, ADM, etc.?
--
Holy
Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!
Anathema
to the Union!
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