International companies are taking control of basic resources in agriculture and food production. Patents on plants and farm animals granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) enable companies such as Monsanto, Dupont, Syngenta Bayer and BASF to claim plants and animals as their exclusive monopolies. It is time make a stand against this abuse of patent law. Come along to the European Patent Office in Munich to stop patents on seeds!
On 26 October and 8 November 2011, the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich will make two far-reaching decisions: In public hearings, final decisions will be made on broccoli EP1069819 and the tomato patent EP 1211926. Both patents cover seeds, plants and food derived from conventional plant breeding. In December 2010, the EPO decided that the process for breeding those plants is not patentable. But the patents on broccoli and tomato were not revoked! On the contrary, in March 2011 the EPO granted Monsanto another patent on melons derived from conventional breeding. The reasoning of the EPO: Even if the process for breeding is not patentable, the products of such processes, plants, seeds and food are still regarded as an invention! Article 53b of the European Patent Convention (EPC) and Art 4 of the European Directive on Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions (EC98/44) that prohibit patents on breeding if “essentially biological” and also patents on “plant varieties” is completely eroded by this decisions of the EPO.
There are several hundred patent applications pending at the European Patent Office and elsewhere, that cover conventional breeding in plants and animals. If these patents are granted, companies such as Monsanto will not only gain control of genetically engineered seeds, but also of traditional breeding. This will mean that consumers, farmers, breeders and food producers will become largely dependent on these companies. Farmers in developing countries and European small farmers will be hit especially hard. Patent laws are being abused to gain control of breeding, agriculture, and the production of food derived from.
On 26 October 2011 at 9 a.m. (CET), consumers together with farmers and breeders will be holding a public protest in front of the European Patent Office (Erhardtstr. 27) in Munich. Please join us! Please also attend the public hearing on the tomato patent on 8 November 2011 (more informations to follow).
Please support us! Give a clear signal to politicians and Patent Offices all over the world:
