[tritium]

Canada backs terminator seeds.

Many believe it is purely a business idea by forcing farmers to buy a fresh supply of seeds each year -- many of whom are in the developing world and cannot afford to do this.

The traditional practice (tried and tested for thousands of years) of saving seeds for the next harvest comes under threat due to a US patent on this technology to prevent "unauthorized seed-saving" by farmers.

Supporters of the terminator, or suicide, technology believe that the idea of it is for the protection of corporations from unscrupulous farmers. Control of seed germination helps prevent growers from pirating their technology. If crops remain fertile, there is a chance that farmers could use any saved transgenic seed from a previous season. This would result in poorer profits for companies. (See the bottom parts of this article and this article for more.).

This then becomes a battle over a farmer's (traditional) right and a corporation's right.

[Clogeroo]

Pirating seeds? That goes too far let the farmers do what they want with them.

[Blue_Nose]

Farmers should boycott these terminator seeds, regardless of there being a ban or not. The idea of a copyright on plants is ridiculous.

I have no idea if the hype behind the idea that these genes would 'infect' non-terminator plants is valid, but that would also be a concern.

MissT and I had a great discussion on these GM crops last year- that thread probably has a lot of information.

[tritium]

Well what I see is corporations controlling our food source, and a possible Global famine because of it.

This is required under NAFTA that Canada allows terminator seeds.

[Blue_Nose]

tritium tritium:

Well what I see is corporations controlling our food source, and a possible Global famine because of it.

Exactly - this increases profits to large corporations, while it not only provides no benefit to farmers, but it actually a detriment to them.

[Knoss]

$1:

Pirating seeds? That goes too far let the farmers do what they want with them.

This has to do with that case over Roundup Ready canola. Breeders and GM companies should have the right to hold patents on genes and should be allowed to use termanator technology. But what is to be done when patents expire?

$1:

Exactly - this increases profits to large corporations, while it not only provides no benefit to farmers, but it actually a detriment to them.

Avoid buying these varieties. Termanator genes are only found on new varieties. Farmers are still responcible for what they grow and market. I could talk about how farmers can produce less while still being profitable, and how some new technologies though good science are not good buisness, but that is a differnt discussion entierly.

I will just say that breeders and GM's should have a right to patent genes and use terminator genes.

[sandorski]

Freaking insane!

[hurley_108]

But, but, but, if we don't let them sell terminator seeds here, then that's not creating a welcoming environment here in which to do business. The economy will suffer. Jobs will be lost. It will be absolutely devastaing to the economy if we don't let coporations sell whatever the hell they want here, whether or not its morally or ethically proper.

[dog77_1999]

Blue_Nose Blue_Nose:

tritium tritium:

Well what I see is corporations controlling our food source, and a possible Global famine because of it.

Exactly - this increases profits to large corporations, while it not only provides no benefit to farmers, but it actually a detriment to them.

The reason why they do this is because they don't want any GM seeds going into the natural environment and screwing up the ecosystem.

I wouldn't reccommend a boycott. The GM seeds have far greater yields than organic seeds.

And yes, the companies want to make money. Do you think these companies would survive if their seeds could just be harvested off of a crop? Where would new and improved varieties of seeds come from?

[Knoss]

$1:

The reason why they do this is because they don't want any GM seeds going into the natural environment and screwing up the ecosystem.

I wouldn't reccommend a boycott. The GM seeds have far greater yields than organic seeds.

I can see the eccosystem playing a role, I'm still wondering about in 20 years when patents expire though. I guess if any comany can copy genes prices will come down.

[hurley_108]

Knoss Knoss:

I will just say that breeders and GM's should have a right to patent genes and use terminator genes.

No, they shouldn't. This whole "let the conumers choose," "let the market decide" thing is a flawed concept that cannot be universally applied.

Our government needs to grow a backbone, say that it is wrong to engineer failure into products no matter what they are, and just ban their sale.

[Knoss]

$1:

No, they shouldn't. This whole "let the conumers choose," "let the market decide" thing is a flawed concept that cannot be universally applied.

Our government needs to grow a backbone, say that it is wrong to engineer failure into products no matter what they are, and just ban their sale.

What incentive to comapnies have to develope new technology if not the patent?

[bootlegga]

IMHO, terminator seeds are a bad product. I say that if NAFTA insists we have to sell them, we say fine and impose a huge import duty on them, just the like US and its position in our softwood lumber. Then we can take those duties and disperse them to Canadian farmers not using terminator seeds. After all, this product harms our own agricultural sector by making it difficult for our farmers to compete.

[hurley_108]

Knoss Knoss:

$1:

No, they shouldn't. This whole "let the conumers choose," "let the market decide" thing is a flawed concept that cannot be universally applied.

Our government needs to grow a backbone, say that it is wrong to engineer failure into products no matter what they are, and just ban their sale.

What incentive to comapnies have to develope new technology if not the patent?

None, and that's the point. If we don't want a certain kind of technology developed, then we shouldn't permit it to be patented.

I'm opposed to genetic modification. I think it's an incredibly risky endeavour. I think it allows for such perversions as terminator technology, and so I see no problem with refusing to permit patents of living things. And, should someone develop one anyway, or in a country where they do permit such patents, then I have no problem with a ban on the sale of such products here.

[hurley_108]

bootlegga bootlegga:

IMHO, terminator seeds are a bad product. I say that if NAFTA insists we have to sell them, we say fine and impose a huge import duty on them, just the like US and its position in our softwood lumber. Then we can take those duties and disperse them to Canadian farmers not using terminator seeds. After all, this product harms our own agricultural sector by making it difficult for our farmers to compete.

Or just tear up NAFTA. That would be simpler.