Final answer:
GMO corn can indeed be patented. The pivotal Supreme Court case Diamond v. Chakrabarty set a precedent allowing living, man-made organisms to be patentable. Agri-businesses utilize this patent right, but the practice is fraught with controversy, especially regarding its effects on organic farming and market control.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), such as GMO corn, can be patented. Following the 1980 Supreme Court decision in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, living, man-made organisms like GMO corn became patentable because they are not naturally occurring entities. Companies like Monsanto have been known to patent corn strains that contain built-in pesticides, as per the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
These intellectual property rights allow agri-businesses to control their genetically engineered (GE) crops and potentially exploit agricultural markets. However, this practice is not without controversy. Critics argue that it can lead to monopolies and restrict farmers' use of seeds. Furthermore, organic standards strictly prohibit the use of GE crops in organic farming, though accidental contamination with genetically engineered DNA can occur. The safety of GE crops for the environment and for consumption remains a subject of scientific research and debate, although organizations such as the US National Academy of Sciences and the American Medical Association have deemed them safe.