Not the Onion: Monsanto Tries Patenting Natural Tomatoes

[n2doc]

BY CHRISTINA SARICH


Many individuals are aware that biotech has developed a seed monopoly largely by patenting genetically modified organisms, but not everyone realizes that Monsanto tried to patent a tomato that had no biotech traits. Now, the European Patent Office (EPO), with help from an international coalition, No Patents on Seeds!, has revoked Monsanto’s fraudulent patent and claim to tomatoes that are naturally resistant to a fungal disease called botrytis.

These natural, non-GMO tomatoes, like many healthy plants, have a natural resistance to certain pests. In this case, a fungal disease, but this is not a novel phenomenon. Why Monsanto would try to claim they created it is about as believable as Syngenta or Dow saying they invented the sun.

Though plant breeders can help plants develop this natural pest resistance, much of it is innate – the same as our own immune systems. When individual plants reproduce, they pass along exceptional combinations of genes to their offspring. Varying environments (such as cold, or dry, moist or breezy) favor individuals with different physical and behavioral traits. Individual plants with genes that improve their survival will be more likely to pass along these genes compared to the rest of the population.

- See more at: http://naturalsociety.com/new-level-monsanto-tries-patenting-natural-tomatoes/

[RiverLover]

1. "Control oil & you control nations, Control the food supply & you control the People."

Monsanto is Evil.

[Dont call me Shirley]

4. The uber-rich who direct the agenda of monsanto are the core evil.

[Trillo]

2. Good news! (the story text, if not the headline)

I wonder if that's why the seed libraries are being hassled?

[easychoice]

3. Bill Gates likes seeds too,can't wait for him to get his hooks on this bank.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Norwegian: Svalbard globale frøhvelv) is a secure seedbank on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen near Longyearbyen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago, about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) from the North Pole.[4] Conservationist Cary Fowler, in association with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR),[5] started the vault to preserve a wide variety of plant seeds that are duplicate samples, or "spare" copies, of seeds held in gene banks worldwide. The seed vault is an attempt to insure against the loss of seeds in other genebanks during large-scale regional or global crises. The seed vault is managed under terms spelled out in a tripartite agreement between the Norwegian government, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen).[6]

The Norwegian government entirely funded the vault's approximately NOK 45 million (US$9 million) construction.[7] Storing seeds in the vault is free to end users, with Norway and the Global Crop Diversity Trust paying for operational costs. Primary funding for the Trust comes from such organisations as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and from various governments worldwide.[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault

[BrotherIvan]

12. He is so damn bad

He is like a parasite, moving in and destroying the host. All under cover of "philanthropy." Gross!

[easychoice]

15. He is a parasite Ivan

he has stolen everything he has.

[NewDeal_Dem]

25. He's already got his hooks in doesn't he?

Primary funding for the Trust comes from such organisations as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and from various governments worldwide.

[easychoice]

27. Yes he does...But

There are lots of other actors he has to deal with.What happens when he thins out the crowd?Does our Soybean crop BSOD mid August?
I am afraid for that seedbank's future with him and his cronies around

[NewDeal_Dem]

28. When I saw Gates was involved, I figured it would eventually have something to do with

privatizing genes and germ plasm, one way or another.

Either turning all crops into privatized ones, or privatizing ancient genetic lines. Or both.

[easychoice]

32. Great minds think alike

He is doing the same things the Rockefellers and friends do with their foundations.Screw the crap out of the human race and call it charity.

[reACTIONary]

47. LOL, He contributs to a seed bank...

... and you acuss him of trying to steal seeds? As opposed to saving them. I think that is a very confused acusation . But funny .

[seveneyes]

5. the tomato that ate cleveland

Memories of youth.

[EEO]

6. Monsanto is one of the most evil corporations out there.

Give them time and they may even exceed the Umbrella Corporation in the Resident Evil games.

[Cha]

24. I hope there nothing more Evil than Monsanto.. not such on a large scale anyway. Freedom

Industries in West Virginia got down and evil but they got busted.

YOOOHOOO!!! Your Karma bus has arrived! Remember him from January in West Virginia of Elk River Infamy[/b

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026015879

[DeSwiss]

7. They must have falsified data -- which is criminal behavior.

- Arrest the corporate charter!

K&R

[center][/center]

[niyad]

8. thanks for that depressing list.

[DeSwiss]

10. De nada.

Last edited Wed Dec 31, 2014, 12:06 AM - Edit history (1)

on edit: These 400 Companies Do Not Use Any GMO Ingredients – They’re Non-GMO Certified!

[lunasun]

30. An even better list!

[NJCher]

9. excellent graphic

I just went through it, line by line, and was pleased to see I've had nothing to do with any of these food companies for years.

That's because I don't use processed foods. I even make my own crackers, using almond flour or coconut flour.

Not easy, but it's a good way to cut way back on GMOs, to which many are allergic.



Cher

[DeSwiss]

11. Me neither.

- PM me your cracker recipe. I've been thinking about trying this one:

[2naSalit]

13. I was going to ask for the cracker recipe too!

I have to confess that there are three brand items I have used and one I still use, sadly.

I have had V8 juice in the past year, and I HAVE to use P&G toothpaste because they make one that is not heavily laden with mint to which I have a significant allergy. P&G bought out the company who used to make Viadent toothpaste and Tom's of Maine. Both those companies used to make not too sweet, nonminted toothpastes but since P&G bought them, the gels now have mint because it's P&G's gel base that is now used which contains mint, strong mint. I use pepsodent most of the time but I also think that might be made in China and was probably one of the brands found to contain toxins and melamine and whateverelse they use as filler.


And Lays classic chips, a couple times a year snack.

Regardless, I say F^@K Monsanto!!!

[Boreal]

16. I've got mint free toothpaste

from the health food store. Some natural brand of Aruveydic (sp) products. Little pricey but worth it. Fluoride free, too.

[2naSalit]

17. Hmmm

Have a company name or something? I would love to find something better and not P&G. Don't care for the really sweet stuff made for kids, kind of defeats the purpose of brushing my teeth only to have a bubble gum aftertaste for indeterminate amount of time. I have been living with looking like I am stoned for at least an hour after each brushing, it sucks. If I have a name I can probably acquire it through the co-op in the city so that next time I go there I can get some... or at least order it.

Thanks in advance.

[Boreal]

23. Right here

http://www.auromere.com/Toothpaste-4_16oz_Ayurvedic_Mint-Free_Toothpaste.html

Order online

[2naSalit]

38. Cool

Thank you sooooo much! I will check in to that today.

*sigh*

[Hun Joro]

41. There's really no need to buy toothpaste; homemade versions are easy

Here's a good one: http://wellnessmama.com/5252/remineralizing-tooth-powder/

You can easily omit the mint.

[2naSalit]

50. Thanks

I was thinking about that today. I was looking at recipes for DIY stuff and I think I have ingredients to make my own. I already make a lot of my own sundries, might as well make this too.

[arikara]

46. Here's a recipe to make your own

if you want to get fancy. My niece makes this, I've been too lazy. http://littleseedfarm.com/to-be-a-farmer-blog/homemade-toothpaste.html

I sometimes use shreds of my homemade soap, which works fine and surprisingly doesn't taste bad as it sounds. Or you could go the simplest route and mix sea salt with baking soda and add some cinnamon for flavour if you like it.

I also buy a toothpaste called Sea Fresh by Jason which doesn't have any fluoride or SLS in it which my local health food store sells. There is no need to buy P&G's toxic brew they have the nerve to call toothpaste.

Edit to say: sorry the Sea Fresh does have mint. But there are many health food versions without it.

[2naSalit]

51. Yup

JASON products have mint, same with most of Burt's Bees and many other organic product that I'm sure are great except that they use mint for various reasons, and mint is a really cheap ingredient.

These recipes give me a starting point, I'm sure I can come up with something from these. Thanks!

[NJCher]

52. cracker recipe

Here's one, although it isn't the one I used. The one I used was from a hard copy cookbook that I'd have to type in, but this one is similar. Lots of other good grain-free recipes there, too.

http://elanaspantry.com/rosemary-fig-crackers/



Cher

[2naSalit]

53. Why thank you!

I'll think of you whenever I make and eat them.



ETA: That's a really cool web site. I have a friend with several food allergies so I'm going to share that one. Thanks again!

[Boreal]

14. Shit, look at that list!

Most people shop in regular grocery stores where those products dominate. One of the big problems we have is that natural and organic foods are generally sold in places like "Whole Paycheck" and health food stores and are very expensive. It's never changed throughout my adult life and I'm old! You'd think that by now natural products would have come down in price.

[JoeyT]

22. One of the reasons they haven't,

and probably won't anytime soon, is because global warming is screwing up crops.

If you want to grow anything in the parts of the US that are traditionally considered food growing regions, you're either going to have to put in a lot of work on a smaller area (More labor for less yield), or you're going to have to hose them down in pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. The breeding seasons for pests are longer, meaning there's more of them. Same for weeds.

Hell, I dumped out a five gallon bucket of mosquito larvae two days ago. Four days ago we had a tornado. I'm not even that old and I don't remember there ever being Christmas tornadoes or New Year mosquitoes.

[NewDeal_Dem]

26. If they were priced for the masses, they wouldn't have cachet. They're priced for the upper middle

class, purposefully. supply and demand has little to do with it.

[Boreal]

31. Agreed

Especially with the likes of Whole Foods because they buy in huge volume and could pass the savings on. Even the bottom of the economic barrel (me!) will pay the price the price for natural and organic and because it's that important to us and they know it. Regular grocery stores make about a 1% profit but I'll bet WF has a huge profit margin. It's really a bummer. The good thing is that more regular grocery stores are offering healthy products at a price far lower than WF and health food stores.

[ffr]

37. Great thread with more helpful DU info

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. evil monsanto

[blkmusclmachine]

19. Fascism

[1step]

20. Next up: Air

What, you think you have a right to it? Commie!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

21. Remember always. These people believe it is immoral for ANY human need to not be for SALE....

If they had it their way they would bill us for the "service" of providing us with clean air instead of THEM being fined BY us for their polluting it.

They would ask us, "Just how much are you willing to pay to breathe?"

[lunasun]

29. I am glad to see Europe is standing up to them . I have no fantasies about USA fighting them

[Locrian]

33. uh, oh...

Nothing good will come of this...

[edhopper]

34. There is an excellent comic book series

"Lazarus" which shows a world dominated and ruled by corporations like Monsanto.

It is not a pleasant place for most of the population.

https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/lazarus

[polly7]

35. I wish Monsanto would jump off a cliff with their freak seeds.

Are they going to cause fruit and vegetable growers in poorer nations now with gov'ts agreeable to their monopoly and seed theft to resort to suicide, like the tens of thousands in India's cotton belt once their new and improved produce require more and more pesticides as they evolve and that poor farmers can't afford? Evil, sick *ks.

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]
Not funny anymore.

[TRoN33]

36. Monsanto owns tomato? Hell fucking no.

[amb123]

39. Next: Mathematics, LLC copyrights the mathematical equation 2+2=4

From now on if any child recites 2+2=4 in a classroom, the parents must pay a $50,000 royalty.

( Not )

[rickford66]

40. Why not patent oxygen ?

[easychoice]

48. I am sure it's been tried

am I jaded?

[lark]

42. hahahahahahahaha!!

Suck it Monsanto!! Your greedy little trick didn't work this time.

[McCamy Taylor]

43. Just wait. They'll try to patent us next.

[McCamy Taylor]

44. So, Monsanto thinks that it is God now and can claim credit for nature?

[Jack Rabbit]

45. Drag the corporate brass out from behind the logo and put the bastards in jail

Monsanto's corporate brass is too big for its breeches.

[Turbineguy]

49. Pat Robertson

will probably try to patent God if that works.