The Patenting of Life, Limiting Liberty, and the Corporate Pursuit of Seeds

(Hardback)

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Throughout world history, what human beings ate was determined by what local producers cultivated, and what they planted was determined by seasonal cycles. After the harvest, farmers reclaimed the seeds so that they could replant them the following season. Today, however, these age-old practices that guided countless generations are becoming extinct. What we eat, the quality of our food, and even the tastes that we develop are dictated by powerful corporations who are driven by the profit motive. This book investigates the corporate dominance of the worlds seed supply. The seed is natures gift and the first link in the food chain. This life form is becoming the exclusive intellectual property of the corporation. The advent of genetically modified seeds and strict patent protection accorded to them enable companies to own the seed even after the farmer has bought, planted, and harvested the seed. Multinational corporations have a monopoly control over seeds and the accompanying pesticides which is leading to monocultures in the food system and the disappearance of traditional methods of farming. Local producers are forced to buy seeds each year, thereby fostering a feudalistic relationship of perpetual dependence. An imbalance of power has emerged and farmers are transformed from producers to consumers by these new arrangements. The leap to embrace biotechnology and genetically modified foods has been quite swift and conducted without the publics knowledge. The food that our stomachs ingest may be increasingly bad for us. Case studies from four developing countries are presented for consideration.

Reviews

The Patenting of Life, Limiting Liberty, and the Corporate Pursuit of Seeds addresses one of the most important but least discussed issues of our times. Seed is the first link in the food chain. Ali M. Nizamuddin shows how Patents on life are the biggest threat to freedoms of farmers to save seed, and freedom of citizens to know what is in their food. If you care about your food and your freedom, this is a book you must read. -- Vandana Shiva
At a time of growing global food insecurity much of the worlds food supply is dominated by a few, huge corporations. In this important and disturbing book, Ali Nizamuddin outlines his concerns over corporate control of the global diet and food supply for profit, and the risks to health and sustainability this poses. If you eat, you should read this. -- Julian Cribb, author and science writer

Author Bio

Ali M. Nizamuddin is associate professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield.