Seed Slavery

Seed Slavery is the act of patenting seeds and monopolizing on farmer’s ability to grow these seeds. These seeds are genetically modified and their specific genetic code is patented to prevent others from growing this specific property (see definition for biopiracy). This term was coined by the activist Vandana Shiva, who advocates for there to be no privatization of agriculture, seed sovereignty, and other environmental issues. In her words, “In our times some corporations think it is alright to own life on earth through patents and intellectual property rights (IPR). Patents are granted for inventions, and life is not an invention.”