August 11, 2005

GM giant Monsanto plans to patent pig-breeding technique
 

GM giant Monsanto has announced its plans to patent a pig-breeding technique, which involved identifying genes that resulted in desirable traits in swine, breeding animals to achieve those traits and using a specialised device to inseminate sows more efficiently.

The patent was filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization, and was expected to take several years and many revisions before approval.

However, consumer activists were reportedly concerned that if Monsanto was granted pig-related patents, in addition to its existing control over feed and food crops, the company would be granted too much power over the agricultural sector.

One main concern related to how the patent claims involving the animals themselves would be used. While the granting of animal patents was not new, most of the animals were genetically modified and used in laboratory research, not common farm animals.

There were fears that Monsanto could one day file patent infringement lawsuits against pig farmers, just as it had done so already for some farmers whose crops contained some of the company's patented genetic plant technology.

Critics also reportedly said it was unclear if Monsanto had actually invented anything new in swine reproduction, and that it was simply trying to patent a combination of practices already used along with genetic selection that occurred naturally.

In response, Monsanto said any fears about this issue was unfounded, and the patents were simply a "defensive move" as many players worldwide raced to find technologies for breeding bigger and better pigs to meet consumer demands.