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> Monsanto The corporation everyone loves to hate. On the flip-side, I haven't heard any compelling way for Monsanto to recuperate the costs of R&D on their e

by Cpoll 10y ago

> Monsanto The corporation everyone loves to hate. On the flip-side, I haven't heard any compelling way for Monsanto to recuperate the costs of R&D on their engineered crops. I'm sure a lot of people would be happy to see GM crops go away altogether, but I don't think that's a compelling solution.

djsumdog 10y ago
I listed the two others too, yet you focused on the one. Why did we need them in the first place? Prior to seed companies, seed stock was bread by farmers, universities and done in a way that was more open an accessible. We have been in overproduction of corn, grain and rice for over a decade. They haven't saved the world from hunger. Hunger still exists and has always been a distribution problem. In 2008, the food crisis was caused because investment companies started trading in grain futures and wouldn't let go (where as a food producer invests in a grain future because they plan on buying it in x months in order to make cereal or pizza crust or whatever). There was plenty of food though. The food shortage was literally manufactured. > any compelling way for Monsanto to recuperate the costs of R&D on their engineered crops It wasn't a problem that needed to be solved. On the flip side, now we have all this corn and grain that needs to be sold. Sure some of that can be turned into fuel, but a lot of it is pushed out in starchier food. We're consuming so much starch and sugar that we're now in an obesity epidemic. The food industry keeps pushing out advertising so people consume more of it. It's a cycle that's not been beneficial for many people.
technotony 10y ago
Plant patents [1] and Plant Variety Protection Rights [2] are totally reasonable ways they can protect their crops without blocking at the technology level with patents. Which to use depends on sexual vs asexual reproduction of the crop. [1] https://www.uspto.gov/patents-getting-started/patent-basics/types-patent-applications/general-information-about-35-usc-161 https://www.uspto.gov/patents-getting-started/patent-basics/... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_Variety_Protection_Act_of_1970 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_Variety_Protection_Act_o...

by Cpoll 10y ago

djsumdog 10y ago

I listed the two others too, yet you focused on the one. Why did we need them in the first place? Prior to seed companies, seed stock was bread by farmers, universities and done in a way that was more open an accessible. We have been in overproduction of corn, grain and rice for over a decade. They haven't saved the world from hunger. Hunger still exists and has always been a distribution problem. In 2008, the food crisis was caused because investment companies started trading in grain futures and wouldn't let go (where as a food producer invests in a grain future because they plan on buying it in x months in order to make cereal or pizza crust or whatever). There was plenty of food though. The food shortage was literally manufactured. > any compelling way for Monsanto to recuperate the costs of R&D on their engineered crops It wasn't a problem that needed to be solved. On the flip side, now we have all this corn and grain that needs to be sold. Sure some of that can be turned into fuel, but a lot of it is pushed out in starchier food. We're consuming so much starch and sugar that we're now in an obesity epidemic. The food industry keeps pushing out advertising so people consume more of it. It's a cycle that's not been beneficial for many people.

technotony 10y ago

Plant patents [1] and Plant Variety Protection Rights [2] are totally reasonable ways they can protect their crops without blocking at the technology level with patents. Which to use depends on sexual vs asexual reproduction of the crop. [1] https://www.uspto.gov/patents-getting-started/patent-basics/types-patent-applications/general-information-about-35-usc-161 https://www.uspto.gov/patents-getting-started/patent-basics/... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_Variety_Protection_Act_of_1970 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_Variety_Protection_Act_o...