Designer Pigs
Monsanto seeks a patent for the "whole hog."
By Lewis Hyde
A story from the “news” section of the Greenpeace website announces that Monsanto has filed for patents on pigs. Not content with owning seedlines, apparently, the company now hopes to get monopoly privileges to farm animals.
“Take patent application WO 2005/017204,” writes the Greenpeace author. “This refers to pigs in which a certain gene sequence related to faster growth is detected. This is a variation on a natural occurring sequence — Monsanto didn’t invent it.
“It was first identified in mice and humans. Monsanto wants to use the detection of this gene sequence to screen pig populations, in order to find which animals are likely to produce more pork per pound of feed…. Monsanto wants to own not just the selection and breeding method, not just the information about the genetic indicators, but, if you pardon the expression, the whole hog.”
There follows a list of some of the claims that the patent application makes:
- Claim 16 asks for a patent on: “A pig offspring produced by a method …”
- Claim 17 asks for a patent on: “A pig herd having an increased frequency of a specific …gene…”
- Claim 23 asks for a patent on: “A pig population produced by the method…”
- Claim 30 asks for a patent on: “A swine herd produced by a method…”
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Lewis Hyde is at work on a book on “cultural commons,” pigs included.
Posted August 3, 2005
