Broccoli.   Who knew that the vegetable most of us despised as children would soon become the fodder for a landmark European patent case.  You read correctly, a European company called Plant Bioscience, Ltd. received a patent for broccoli which has high concentrations of anti-carcinogen properties.  Good for the world, debatable for our taste buds.While it is not uncommon for the Patent Office to issue a patent for the technical aspect of how to create a new plant, it is uncommon to issue a patent on the plants selected themselves.  A Swiss company is arguing that this patent effectively gives Plant Bioscience a patent on broccoli itself.

Get ready to add the butter, because this situation just got even unhealthier.  Many European countries disagree with patenting vegetables because they believe that it will result in other produce being harder to find.  Consumers will then be left with the higher priced patented vegetables, and no cheaper alternative.

Should vegetables be patented or should biological developments that help all people be accessible to all people?  Like mother always said, “make sure you eat your vegetables.”