Does Government Crackdown on Farmers Amount to Human Rights Abuse?

I’m beginning to think that events like the seizure of Linda Faillace’s sheep and the sting against Family Foods Cooperative/Richard Hebron should be classifed as human rights abuses.

I was pushed further along in that thinking by a movie I just watched, "The Future of Food". Much of this 2004 documentary is taken up with the case of a Canadian farmer who decides to fight an outrageous claim by Monsanto that the farmer illegally planted genetically modified, and patented, seed from Monsanto. Monsanto and a few other agri-business behemoths have been creating genetically engineered seeds, and then obtaining patents on them. If the seeds happen to blow from a traveling vehicle onto a wheat field, the farmer who owns the land can be held accountable for fees in connection with using the proprietary seeds. That is what seems to have happened to the Canadian farmer. Monsanto investigators actually inspected his land and crops, without his permission, to gather their "evidence." He spent years fighting, and eventually lost, as the Canadian Supreme Court agreed with Monsanto.

The fight cost the farmer and his wife huge legal fees, rights to existing seed they had developed over the years, and a tremendous amount of anxiety. They lost rights associated with their land and crops, along with their dignity. I’d call those human rights.

The movie isn’t just about this farmer–it also shows how agri-business is seeking to gain control of key grains and legumes like wheat, corn, and soy via genetic engineering patents, and eventually move into vegetables and fruits. Fortunately, these efforts have been stymied, at least temporarily, by foreign and consumer resistance, as well as the explosion in organic food consumption. Between 1993 and 2003, organic food consumption increased from $1 billion to $13 billion.

It’s a sobering film, and I highly recommend it. It’s available to members of Netflix, as well as through the film website.

Another experience that has pushed me in this human rights direction is research I’ve done for a new BusinessWeek.com article being posted tomorrow. Thanksgiving, with a human rights flavor. More to come.