Subj: Monsanto application for global pig patent
Date: 8/2/2005 3:47:24 PM Central Daylight Time
From:    [log in to unmask] (Laurel Hopwood)
Sender:    [log in to unmask] (Biotech Forum)
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http://www.ems.org/nws/pf.php?p=1616

Greenpeace reveals Biotech giant Monsanto application for global pig patent

Amsterdam/New Delhi, 2 August 2005 -- Greenpeace researchers have uncovered
patent application from the biotech giant Monsanto which, if granted, would
give the company world-wide control over breeding of pigs and their off
spring. Greenpeace warns that Monsanto's aggressive patent practices
covering genetically modified (GM) crops and normal seeds threaten
biodiversity, endanger world food security and ruin the livelihoods of
farmers and calls for the patent applications to be withdrawn.

Speaking at an international conference on Biodiversity, Biopiracy and
Patents (1), being held in New Delhi, Eric Gall of Greenpeace International
said: "Monsanto is once again trying to control the food we grow. This is
patenting life. This is abuse of patent laws and it is an outright offence
to farmers world-wide."

Filed at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva (2)
the patent application stakes a claim on pig rights in more than 160
countries, including the UK, Germany, the US, Russia, Brazil, Australia,
China and India. If granted, US-based Monsanto will be in a position to
prevent breeders and farmers from breeding pigs with certain
characteristics or methods of breeding, or force them to pay royalties. The
patents cover methods of conventional breeding and also the screening for
naturally occurring genetic conditions that can make pigs grow faster.

Monsanto wants to enter a growing market with an increasing consumer demand
for meat products globally. The Monsanto patents pretend to speed up
breeding for higher economical profit. The hitch is that these pigs and
their descendants would all be patented - and royalties would have to be
paid to Monsanto.

Monsanto is already infamous for its aggressive marketing of GM crops such
as GM soy and GM maize, as well as for its far-reaching monopolies on all
kind of seeds (3). Greenpeace wants Monsanto to drop patent applications on
farm animals and seeds, and stop the abuse of patent law, bio-piracy,
animal patents and seed monopolies. Greenpeace also launched a cyberaction
against Monsanto today.

"If this patent gets granted, Monsanto could control the normal breeding of
pigs to a large extent, without any real invention behind it. The
experience farmers have with this company so far (4) let them expect a
further shocking exercise of squeezing royalties and suing farmers on
global scale," warned Gall. "This patent application is so absurd we wonder
what Monsanto will come up with next?"

For more information
Eric Gall, Greenpeace European Unit GMO policy adviser, mobile +91 98 116
82601 (in India)
and +32 (0)496 161 582
Christoph Then, GE campaigner, Greenpeace International, mobile +49 171 878
0832
Judit L. Kalovits, media officer, Greenpeace International, mobile +31 621
296 914

Notes to Editors
(1) "EU - India Dialogue cum Strategy Session on Biodiversity, Indigenous
Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights" conference between the European
Union and India is held in New Delhi, India on the 1-2 August 2005.

(2) Patent applications WO 2005/017204 and WO 2005/015989 were filed in
February 2005 at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in
Geneva. There are more than 160 countries mentioned where the patent should
be granted, such as in Europe, Russian Federation, Asia (India, China,
Philippines) America (USA, Brazil, Mexico), Australia and New Zealand. The
WIPO itself can only receive applications, but does not grant any patents;
it will forward the applications to regional patent offices in the US,
Europe or elsewhere. At this stage the patent are not granted yet, but they
could be accepted for example under European and US Regulation.
For the full document see:
http://www.wipo.int/cgi-pct/guest/ifetch5?ENG+PCT-ALL.vdb+14+1147748-SCORE+256+4
+20872+BASICHTML-ENG+1+1+1+25+SEP-0/HITNUM,B,,SCORE+2005015989

(3) The company has spent about 10 billions US $ over the last ten years to
buy a large range of companies involved in seed and agricultural production.
According to Greenpeace, such patents and monopolies lead to a decrease of
biodiversity in agriculture, endanger global food security and put pressure
on farmers' livelihoods worldwide. For more on patents at
http://archive.greenpeace.org/geneng/reports/pat/intrpat.htm

(4) The way Monsanto tries to control its genetically manipulated seeds
such as herbicide resistant soybeans by taking farmers to court has already
led to worldwide controversies and protests. Recently it was made public
that Monsanto even tries to get additional royalties for harvests from
Argentinean soybean farmers exported to Europe by filing court cases in
Denmark, claiming the cargo of shipments was their intellectual property.


Take Action against Monsanto at http://www.greenpeace.org/no-pig-patent.

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