India takes Monsanto to court for biopiracy over development of GM eggplant

Agri-giant Monsanto may be forced to take one on the chin in India: The nation’s first genetically modified food crop, a variety of eggplant known at Bt brinjal, has sucked its Big Ag developers into court. Monsanto, Mahyco, and “collaborators” have been accused of biopiracy by the National Biodiversity Authority of India.

NBA says the developers of Bt brinjal (the introduction of which was halted in 2010 by then environment minister Jairam Ramesh on the grounds that more tests were needed to prove its safety) used local varieties of eggplant in developing the GM crop “without prior approval of the competent authorities.”


The issue of biopiracy is a big one in India and stems back many years. In the past various multinational corporations have tried patenting products that were just packaged versions of traditional medicinal remedies used for generations. Neem and turmeric were often targets.

In 2009, India passed a law deem all traditional medicinal herbs (as well as yoga postures) as being part of the nation’s cultural heritage and therefore “public property”, prohibiting anyone patenting them. It did not prohibit people from making money off them, only trying to claim exclusivity over them.

In 2010, Colgate was accused of biopiracy for attempting to patent a toothpaste formula that was essentially a traditional Ayurvedic recipe.

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Workplace incivility is on the rise

Are you stressed on the job? Do rude,  inconsiderate, or unpleasant coworkers add to your list of headaches? “Workplace incivility” is on the rise,  said researchers at the American Psychological Association annual meeting on Sunday.

The academics define workplace incivility as “a form of organizational deviance… characterized by low-intensity behaviors that violate respectful workplace norms, appearing vague as to intent to harm.”

Translation: rudeness, insults and plain old bad manners.

Research suggests “75% to 80% of people have experienced incivility. It’s a growing and prevalent problem,” said Jeannie Trudel of Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion.

“It’s very hard to target because you don’t really know if someone actually means to be rude or if it’s just off the cuff, so it’s an insidious problem,” Trudel says. “There are very, very negative effects of accumulated minor stresses.”

In a study she co-wrote, 86% of 289 workers at three Midwestern firms reported incivility at work.

The Civility in America 2011 poll of 1,000 adults found 43% of Americans say they’ve experienced incivility at work, and 38% believe the workplace is increasingly disrespectful. In the online survey, done in May by Weber Shandwick and Powell Tate in partnership with KRC Research, 67% cited a “critical need” for civility training.

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