Nipawin - March 31, 2001 - by: Mario deSantis
   

hijacked

Adam Smith defined trade as our natural propensity to truck, barter, and exchange one
thing for another, but with the globalization of our economies, trade has been hijacked
by the big multinational corporations.

 

 

patent
right

On Thursday, a Federal Court has ruled against farmer Percy Schmeiser of Bruno
Saskatchewan, for violating Monsanto's patent right(1). This ruling comes at a time
when European consumers are refusing Canadian honey and as our beekeepers
become worried about their bees pollinating genetically modified crops(2).

 

 

not
entitled

Percy Schmeiser has always contended that Monsanto's canola seeds contaminated his
crop by blowing from neighboring fields. However, Justice Andrew MacKay ruled that
even if the canola did blow onto Mr. Schmeiser's field, he was not entitled to reuse it
without the permission of Monsanto.

 

 

lost 50
years

Schmeiser expressed his outrage to the court's ruling by saying
"I've lost 50 years of work because of a company's genetically
altered seed getting into my canola, destroying what I've worked
for, destroying my property and getting sued(3)."

 

 

property
rights

On the other hand, Trish Jordan, a Monsanto spokeswoman, has stated that
"this case has always been about the protection of intellectual
property rights."

 

globalization

So this judgement affirms the subordination of the natural right to labour on our own
land to the manufactured intellectual property right. As we progress towards a stronger
globalization of our economies, so I acquire the understanding that our justice system
becomes global and manufactured.
   
------------References/endnotes:
   
  List of relevant political and economics articles http://ensign.ftlcomm.com
   

1.
-
-

Farmer reaps fines in fight over canola, Les Perreaux, National Post, with files from The StarPhoenix, March 30, 2001 http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20010330/516915.html

 

 

2.
-

Europeans refusing Cdn honey because of GMOs, CBC Canada, March 30, 2001 http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/03/30/Consumers/bees_gmo010330

 

 

3.
-

Sask. farmer loses to biotech company, CBC Canada, March 30, 2001 http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/03/29/monsanto_schmeiser010329