4 ms·
I think that the patents on glyphosate itself expired recently. The RoundUp-ready seeds are still protected, though.
by wazoox 6y ago
I think that the patents on glyphosate itself expired recently. The RoundUp-ready seeds are still protected, though.
- saalweachter 6y agoGlyphosate itself was discovered back in the 50's; patents around that would have expired ~50 years ago. The patents around glyphosate resistant soybeans expired five or ten years back; someone immediately produced and released an unencumbered version. (I don't think it's as popular as you'd think; the yields are a bit lower than the state-of-the-art varieties available now, and farmers purchase new seeds every year for a lot of reasons beyond patent encumbrance.)