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Plant Breeders Release 'Open Source Seeds'

Posted by samzenpus on from the people's-meadow dept.

mr crypto (229724) writes "A group of scientists and food activists are launching a campaign to change the rules that govern seeds. They're releasing 29 new varieties of crops under a new 'open source pledge' that's intended to safeguard the ability of farmers, gardeners and plant breeders to share those seeds freely."

5 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Shame this happened by MrDoh! · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's a sorry state of affairs that this has had to be done. I wonder if I can open source my DNA before someone else patents it.

    --
    Waiting for an amusing sig.
    1. Re:Shame this happened by ChromeAeonium · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yeah, fuck them for blocking important technological advances like insect resistant crops and lifesaving Golden Rice! And fuck them for suing farmers for unknowingly having their crops cross pollinated, even though that never actually happened. Oh wait...what are we angry about again? You know, before you start damning folks to hell (it wouldn't be the first time I've gotten that one), maybe you should check to see that you're not being lied to and emotionally manipulated by people out to advance their own social, political, and economic agendas.

      And the fact that this bullshit is being exported through corrupt politicians to 3rd world countries where people starve every day.

      Well, I agree with that, but I think we're talking about very different bullshits. I'm talking about the fact that, if the field of plant improvement had not been set back by 15 years by activists using Monsanto as a generic boogeyman, we'd be awash in all sorts of beneficial crop traits. Instead, publicly funded GE crops stopped with the extremely successful Rainbow papaya. Bangladesh is just now getting Bt eggplant, and its about time (and just wait, when it inevitability makes it to India, there's going to be a shitstorm among idiot activists who've never stepped food in either a farm or a lab). Golden Rice still has yet to be released. Something is very wrong here, and this time it isn't the big corporation.

    2. Re:Shame this happened by johanw · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "This is a symbolic marketing/propaganda move against Monsanto"

      Good. Death to Monsanto.

    3. Re:Shame this happened by rgbatduke · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The interesting question will be GPL viral. So far, Monsanto et. al. have invoked a viral clause to protect the genes of their products that are literally carried by the wind to non-purchaser's fields who happen to grow their own seed crop. Imagine the impact of having genes carried the other way! Sorry Monsanto, the hybrid crop is now GPL, unless you take steps to prevent e.g. corn pollen from blowing in the wind.

      Never work, of course, but it is a nice fantasy.

      rgb

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
  2. Re:Uh oh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Someone's gotta start the fire.

    These seeds might be irrelevant, just like the GNU project was fairly irrelevant to the world the year it started. And even today, the mainstream media think of Linux rather than the collection of FSF software when they talk of the success of open source. But it all started with Stallman identifying a principle and working toward it.