#7 Patent Problem

America’s food industry is making a killing. Since the 20^th century, the farming industry has gone through a radical change. Today, only four varieties of potatoes are widely grown. 97% of the vegetables grown in the beginning of the 20^th century are now extinct. The terrifying idea of – “Patenting,” is effecting our daily lives as citizens. How these companies own anything they put this “patenting” process into. Giving these companies the power to own and control the species of the Earth. Basically, whoever controls the seeds – control the food. Putting “Monsanto” ahead of the game and their $8 billion spent for buying an assortment of seed companies only helped them, rather than hurt.

This issue of “Patenting” has never been voted on by the people, or Congress. Leaving myself questioning all of the other rules we follow as citizens - and practice as a nation. In 1998 in Canada, when Percy (a farmer that has been farming for 53 years) got a ridiculous lawsuit from “Monsanto,” that is when I began to really go against this “patenting” idea. A line needs to be drawn, and farmers should have a right to continue to farm. Giving the right to save and reuse their own seeds, or buy conventional seeds from their neighbor like they have been in the past.  Without having to worry about infringing someone’s patent. Percy and his wife had to destroy over 1,000 pounds of seeds that they have been developing over decades. This is just one example of how “Monsanto” is putting lawsuits on world-wide farmers and growing with greed. Destroying the work and success many farmers have accomplished. They’re taking the rights and privacy of these important people, who are making the world go round essentially. Is their goal to own all of the seeds in the world and ruin the many lives they encounter? We, as citizens, have a vital problem here we need to fight against before “Monsanto” takes complete control.