Most of us don’t eat as much fruit and veggies as we know we should, but that goal might now be a bit more achievable. Scientists in Spain have engineered a new “Golden Lettuce” with 30 times more nutrients than the regular green stuff.
The actual point of the GMO crops is that it’s patentable. The local farmers objected because Monsanto, yes, that Monsanto, was going to charge them fucking royalties.
Now, Monsanto did, at one point, offer to let researchers develop GMO crops without paying their fees.
FYI in the U.S. you can get a utility patent on any variety. Its not specific to the GMO. Patents differ from regular PVP (plant variety protection) in that they restrict others using it in breeding efforts.
The major difference is varieties are not patentable in the EU but GMO are.
Of course the varieties were intended for countries that do not enforce U.S. or E.U. intellectual property laws anyways. So it was not possible for Monsanto to collect royalties on golden rice in the target market.
That announcement was them trying to put a positive marketing spin on it. “Oh we won’t attempt to seek royalties on a product in countries we can’t collect royalties in…”
The actual point of the GMO crops is that it’s patentable. The local farmers objected because Monsanto, yes, that Monsanto, was going to charge them fucking royalties.
Now, Monsanto did, at one point, offer to let researchers develop GMO crops without paying their fees.
https://www.science.org/content/article/monsanto-waives-fees-golden-rice
And for some of their actual perspectives:
https://grain.org/en/article/6516-why-we-oppose-golden-rice
FYI in the U.S. you can get a utility patent on any variety. Its not specific to the GMO. Patents differ from regular PVP (plant variety protection) in that they restrict others using it in breeding efforts.
The major difference is varieties are not patentable in the EU but GMO are.
Of course the varieties were intended for countries that do not enforce U.S. or E.U. intellectual property laws anyways. So it was not possible for Monsanto to collect royalties on golden rice in the target market.
That announcement was them trying to put a positive marketing spin on it. “Oh we won’t attempt to seek royalties on a product in countries we can’t collect royalties in…”