Monsanto GM seed ban is overturned by US Supreme Court

Now here is a story that you won't find reported in the American press. If you have never heard of Monsanto, you have a lot of catching up to do. In a nutshell though, they are a bio-tech company that is genetically modifying our entire food supply. Moreover, they are moving quickly and aggressively to trademark and patent everything that you eat, while eliminating the viability of any alternatives. They really are the epitome of one might term "an evil corporation." Yet most folks have never heard about them, so don't feel bad if you have not either. Do some research though. There is a lot of material available on the internet, and I will provide some links below.

Directly to the point now though, the US Supreme Court has handed Monsanto a great victory. A lower court ruling banning the sale of genetically modified alfalfa seed, until an environmental impact study could be carried out, has been overturned by the nation's highest court. The potential dangers pointed out by environmentalists have already proven true with other Monsanto GM seeds, yet Monsanto still maintains that worries about their products are "bad science fiction with no support on the record."

The risk of cross-pollination is a near certainty. Not only will the invasive crop infect farms growing natural, non-modified seed, but the farmers themselves will be held liable for growing a patented product without a license to do so. A clever, if unscrupulous way of eliminating competition from those who refuse to buy Monsanto products. Think it wont's happen? But it already has with other crops such as corn and canola in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It has also led to mass crop-failures in India and South Africa, in turn leading to mass starvation and suicides there.

The genetic modifications being done to Monsanto patented seed are done partly to make the plant resistant to the company's Roundup weed killer. The weed killer itself is also a cause for environmental concern. Chemical pollution of groundwater is a concern, as well as new strains of resistant "super-weeds." Other modifications are being carried out as well.

The U.S. is the world's leading producer of alfalfa, and it is the nation's fourth most valuable crop.
So here we have the U.S. Supreme Court clearly acting in favor of a multi-national corporation, against the interests  of the people, without a peep of dissent coming from Federal regulatory agencies charged with maintaining the safety of our food and our environemt. And not a peep about it in the American press. Just this short little brief that popped up on the BBC.

Here is the link to the BBC article...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10371831.stm

For further study, I highly recommend the movie "The Future of Food."  The full version is available to view on Hulu.com. Another movie  I have not seen myself but that has been recommended to me is Food Inc. These are the trailers to sample...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9Y_QH_c70s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh8c9OUti4c