Crazy GM Patent System Unravels in Brazil

+ Crazy GM Patent System Unravels in Brazil

Since GM soy was legalised for planting in Brazil, Monsanto has charged Brazilian farmers 2 per cent of their sales of RoundupReady soybeans. Monsanto tests even those soybean sold as non-GM, and if they turn out to be Roundup Ready, it charges the farmers a higher trait fee -- 3 per cent of their sales.

In April, a judge in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil ruled in favour of the producers and ordered Monsanto to return royalties paid since 2004 or a minimum of $2 billion. Monsanto appealed and a federal court ordered that the ruling would apply nationwide. Now Monsanto will have to pay the $7.5 billion back. "The law gives producers the right to multiply the seeds they buy and nowhere in the world is there a requirement to pay (again)," argues the farmers' lawyer. A decision on this may take years and meanwhile Monsanto continues to collect royalties. But Brazilian farmers expect they will win in the end. If so, it could spark a series of legal challenges elsewhere, including in India.
http://www.gmwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14051

+ CANADA/U.S.A: FARCE OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON GM APPLE BASED ON NO DATA
The US Dept of Agriculture has posted data from Okanagan Specialty Fruits relating to their request for approval of the GM Arctic non-browning apple. The US public now has 60 days to comment before a final decision is made by US regulators.

This public comment period in the US comes just six days after the closing of a public comment period in Canada, July 3, 2012. However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's comment process was based on two pages of bullet points describing the data submitted by the company -- the data itself was not provided.

"The CFIA should be deeply embarrassed for wasting Canadians' time on a false invitation to comment on the GM apple," said Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. "The CFIA public comment period was always a sham because it was based on no data but this farce is now completely exposed."
http://www.gmwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14054

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