Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge

If you needed a(nother) reason to regret the existence of Monsanto and Big Pharm, Vandana Shiva provides ample material here. The core story is the attempt by US and international corporations to extend the ability to patent cell lines and bioengineered organisms, currently allowed in US patent law, to international trade agreements. However, if you're not already convinced, this book isn't going to change your mind. It's less a well-reasoned argument than a string of examples of advances in bioengineering glued together with Carolyn Merchant's theory on science.

The TRIP/GATT material is already dated (the agreement referenced in the book is from 1994), but the basic argument that US intellectual property law becomes farcical and dangerous when applied to living organisms is worth reading. The last two chapters, on the values of self-determination and diversity and on the political implications of ecological disaster, are also a good read.

There is a lot of name calling in the beginning: patriarchy, colonialism, etc. I sometimes wonder if authors, in constructing a narrative of "everything was better before those old white guys got here" are ascribing an almost superhuman power to a group of people that really don't deserve it. How can one overcome an invading army who has the power to rewrite history, religion, interpersonal relations, political relations and cosmology? ( )