Slashdot Mirror
Group Tries To Open Source Seeds
jenwike writes The Open Source Seed Initiative is a passionate group that wants to ensure their seeds are never patented, but making sure seeds are free for use and distribution by anyone isn't as easy as you might think. Part of the equation are plant characteristics, like an extended head on lettuce — is that an invention? Or, would you argue that it is the product of the collective sharing of material that improves the whole crop over time? In this report, one farmer says, "If you're not exchanging germplasm, you're cutting your own throat."
"If you're not exchanging germplasm, you're cutting your own throat."
That's what I always say too! Except for here it might actually make sense.
Twitter.com/TrentonHyatt
My people were farmers. There was a story I was told as a kid.
A farmer went on a long journey. When he came back, he had a new corn seed. He planted it and had yields 50 bushels per acre higher he had last year and it was much higher than all his neighbors. His neighbors wanted to buy seed from the farmer. He refused to sell it to him.
The next year, the farmer's yield was only 35 bushels per acre better than his neighbors. Every year it decreased, until his yield per acre was back at the original amount.
The moral of the story is twofold. First, crops germinate.
Second, a rising tide raises all boats if you let it. Just because your neighbors also have more grain doesn't mean you'll have less. With more grain, you can raise more head of cattle, have more chickens, reduce the amount of grain and begin raising vegetables. Even if the price of grain declines, the amount you can do with that grain should offset the decline.
Hoist Number One and Number Six.
As an interested lay person, I'm thrilled to hear about this initiative. Not to sound ungrateful, but I would really really wish and hope that
- This initiative will always retain the bazaar mindset, and not get bogged down by bureaucracy
- This initiative will spread into the continents where this is needed the most - Asia and Africa.
- The options for seeds grows beyond vegetables and into grains and other basic nutrition foods. Ref: http://www.opensourceseediniti...
- They use this platform to spread awareness and accessibility to some of the really hardy native crops in various parts of the world that are dying out. Many of these are naturally drought and pest resistant, grow very easily, and in some cases, have much better nutritional value than many of the foods that are today more fashionable.
The moringa plant, for example.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
To compare (an example):
100 grams of moringa leaves has 9.3 g protein, 434 mg calcium, 738 g vitamin A, and 164 mg vitamin C
100 grams of spinach leaves has 2.9 g protein, 99 mg calcium, 469 g vitamin A, and 28 mg vitamin C
And this tree grows even in a desert. But I don't want to goo offtopic. This was just an example.
My only hope is that a platform like this - can and should - make knowledge and seeds accessible to all. We can literally solve world hunger and world health by doing this.
If you have a seed people are going to want (more than say RoundUpReady or whatever is patented, etc) you're going to have to do some genetic modifications either through breeding or more direct/exotic methods.
But as soon as it starts working or having value the FDA will start asking for records about what you started with, unusual behavior, how much revenue you are making, what your prayers are like, and which political organizations you are affiliated with. Their buddies in the EPA, IRS will soon see you as their punching bag or, worse yet, their pocket book.
The US economy is transitioning from a semi-centralized, semi-free market approach to more of a guild approach where producers are disallowed from reducing prices or finding new improvements.
We might be 2 or 3 wave elections away from seeing any changes here.
It's also a way to ensure that GMO seeds can't spread beyond their intended planting and coincidentally would resolve a major issue with GMO approval in Europe.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Then give the consumers a choice to not buy GMO. Label products as GMO.
Plenty of products are already labeled as NOT GMO. So people already have a choice.
Hell, Monsanto NEVER sold Terminator seeds. I find that people who rant about them as an example of the evils of Monsanto invariably don't know what the hell they are talking about. It is a nice bellwether.
Except that as soon as one patent nears expiration, another slightly differing patent that still covers the same item is filed for and granted. And you'd be a fool to assume that patents will stay at 20 years when our politicians are completely corrupt and have a revolving-door system with the very corporations the public needs protection from. Lobbying (read: legalized bribery) makes it likely that the scope of patents will continue to expand, just as the scope of copyright does.
Then give the consumers a choice to not buy GMO. Label products as GMO.
Plenty of products are already labeled as NOT GMO. So people already have a choice.
Not plenty enough. I am in the US west coast in a fairly large city, with a whole foods and a choice of stores. I honestly dont find enough products labelled GMO free.