As in the case with any business, Monsanto Company must have a patent on the products it produces. Monsanto’s seeds that it produces are protected under patent law and the patent states “farmers using Monsanto seeds are not allowed to harvest seeds from the plants for use in upcoming seasons” (Ferrell & Hartline, 2014, p. 345). This means that farmers must purchase new Monsanto seeds each growing season. By doing so, Monsanto Company secures its profitability as well as maintaining control of the new seeds produced. “Patents are necessary to ensure that we are paid for our products and for all the investments we put into developing these products” (Monsanto, 2017).
It has been an argument by many critics that requiring farmers to purchase new seeds each growing season, year after year, this would present a financial burden of the farmer and gives Monsanto Company undue power and control. Under Monsanto’s patent law, Monsanto Company has exclusive control over its seeds and farmers must abide by this law. If …show more content…
The investigators will approach suspicious farmers, with permission, with many questions and when unsatisfied with answers, the investigators will go a step further and review farmer’s records and pull samples of the farmer’s fields. Farmers reacted by saying that such investigators were referred to as “seed police and naming them as Gestapo or mafia” (Ferrell & Hartline, 2014, p. 345). For example, in the case of Monsanto versus Indian farmers, cotton seed has been taken away from Indian farmers by Monsanto Company. Since 1998 the price of cotton seed had risen to over 80%. Unfortunately, 300,000 Indian farmers have committed suicide, due to debt and crop failures, with 84% of these suicides being directly pointed toward Monsanto’s cotton seed price, including royalties (Shiva,
It has been an argument by many critics that requiring farmers to purchase new seeds each growing season, year after year, this would present a financial burden of the farmer and gives Monsanto Company undue power and control. Under Monsanto’s patent law, Monsanto Company has exclusive control over its seeds and farmers must abide by this law. If …show more content…
The investigators will approach suspicious farmers, with permission, with many questions and when unsatisfied with answers, the investigators will go a step further and review farmer’s records and pull samples of the farmer’s fields. Farmers reacted by saying that such investigators were referred to as “seed police and naming them as Gestapo or mafia” (Ferrell & Hartline, 2014, p. 345). For example, in the case of Monsanto versus Indian farmers, cotton seed has been taken away from Indian farmers by Monsanto Company. Since 1998 the price of cotton seed had risen to over 80%. Unfortunately, 300,000 Indian farmers have committed suicide, due to debt and crop failures, with 84% of these suicides being directly pointed toward Monsanto’s cotton seed price, including royalties (Shiva,