Contracting
companies have taken to establish regulations by taking farmers to
court, filing cases against farmers who trade, sell, and reuse seeds to
violate the company’s property rights. A landmark case to exemplify the
stronghold the company’s have on farmers is the case Monsanto brought against
Percy Schmeiser of Saskatchewan, Canada. Monsanto’s case against
Schmeiser is ironic because he did not purchase Monsanto seeds, “his fields
were invaded by Monsanto’s Roundup Ready canola” (Shiva 93). Monsanto is
suing him for “theft” of property, as opposed to paying him for ‘biological
pollution’. This is a problem for everyone because it leads to a monopoly
on food sources and on a global scale. The accessibility of planting a
small garden in the future is truly at stake. Where will one get their
seeds? If the seeds have a patent then the ownership is limited.
The policing of food should be of concern to everyone because food is vital to
life.