29/April/20

 

Mexico's Senate recently passed a federal law to promote and protect native corn (maize). The law would prevent what they called the "intellectual plundering" of indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples in Mexico cultivated the first strains of corn thousands of years ago, and now farmers, scientists, and consumer advocates are ready to protect their growing and processing methods under the law. Senator Ana Lilia Rivera, one of the bill’s sponsors, said that because of this new law, "Never, ever, will anyone be able to patent or create economic or commercial rights [that would take precedence] over the human right to corn." Victor Manuel Chima of the Fray Francisco de Vitoria Human Rights Center said, “With this law, we look to replace the importation of tonnes of corn from the United States with the development of public policies to guarantee production, not only for consumption but also to guarantee that this corn is nutritious and of quality.” Greenmatters

 

 

Canadian net farm income remains low, despite a modest recovery during the past decade. In a revealing graph, you can see how the blue area, representing corporations like Monsanto, Agrium, Deere, Shell, etc., has expanded over time to consume almost all of farmers’ revenues, forcing net farm income lower and lower (green/red area). In the 23 years from 1985 to 2007, the dominant agribusiness input suppliers and service providers captured 100 percent of Canadian farm revenues. During that period, all of farm families’ household incomes had to come from off-farm employment, taxpayer-funded farm-support programs, asset sales and depreciation, and borrowed money. During that time, farmers produced and sold $870 billion worth of farm products, but expenses (amounts captured by input manufacturers and service providers) consumed the entire amount. Darrin Qualman's blog

 

 

The number of plaintiffs claiming Monsanto's Roundup weed killer caused their cancer continues to climb, as settlement talks have slowed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bayer said in reporting its first-quarter financial results. Bayer, which acquired Roundup in its $63 billion acquisition of St. Louis-based Monsanto in 2018, also raised concerns about liquidity due to a recession and a possible settlement. The German company said it would consider only a “financially reasonable” settlement that resolves the potential for future claims, The Wall Street Journal reported. St. Louis Business Journal