5 ms·

Monsanto's practices with GMO are problematic, and need to be denounced and made illegal (terminator genes, glyphosate resistant crops, etc...). GMO per se are

by pygy_ 9y ago

Monsanto's practices with GMO are problematic, and need to be denounced and made illegal (terminator genes, glyphosate resistant crops, etc...). GMO per se are IMO a net good, we're increasing biodiversity. Also, they are crucial in medicine. Insulin and other peptide-derived treatments are synthesized by GMO bacteria and yeasts (see "recombinant DNA").

DanCarvajal 9y ago
Why should Monsanto's work be illegal? What would be the result of change vs. no change in legality?
mitochondrion 9y ago
>we're increasing biodiversity Are you sure? Farmers used to have their own subtly different strains of crops at the individual, village, town, and country levels in a kind of expanding concentric ring pattern. Now, at least for cash crops, it's just a few varieties all "manufactured" by one central power.
- pygy_ 9y ago
  It is artificial biodiversity. Without the current legal framework (where seeds/genes can be patented), farmers could hybridize GMO with their own crops to add interesting traits to their own strains. The current uniformity predates GMOs, it stems from F1 hybrids that are effectively clones, and the legislation that makes it practically illegal to sell or plant non-patented seeds.
  - mitochondrion 9y ago
    >The current uniformity predates GMOs, it stems from F1 hybrids that are effectively clones, and the legislation that makes it practically illegal to sell or plant non-patented seeds. Granted. But in the grand scheme of things, this is as equally an astonishingly new situation as is mechanized agriculture. A hundred years ago, most people lived and worked on farms; now it's like 1% or something like that. I know that Monsanto's shareholders need to make rivers of dosh, boatloads of cash, money hand over fist, but I don't understand how in practice they've managed to get a vice-grip on everybody's family jewels.
dekhn 9y ago
Terminator genes are already not used by Monsanto. https://monsanto.com/company/media/statements/terminator-seeds-myth/ https://monsanto.com/company/media/statements/terminator-see... As for glyphosate resistant crops, beyond the currently insufficient science (lots of invalid studies!), I can't see any reason to denounce it or make it illegal).

by pygy_ 9y ago

DanCarvajal 9y ago

Why should Monsanto's work be illegal? What would be the result of change vs. no change in legality?

mitochondrion 9y ago

>we're increasing biodiversity Are you sure? Farmers used to have their own subtly different strains of crops at the individual, village, town, and country levels in a kind of expanding concentric ring pattern. Now, at least for cash crops, it's just a few varieties all "manufactured" by one central power.

pygy_ 9y ago
It is artificial biodiversity. Without the current legal framework (where seeds/genes can be patented), farmers could hybridize GMO with their own crops to add interesting traits to their own strains. The current uniformity predates GMOs, it stems from F1 hybrids that are effectively clones, and the legislation that makes it practically illegal to sell or plant non-patented seeds.
- mitochondrion 9y ago
  >The current uniformity predates GMOs, it stems from F1 hybrids that are effectively clones, and the legislation that makes it practically illegal to sell or plant non-patented seeds. Granted. But in the grand scheme of things, this is as equally an astonishingly new situation as is mechanized agriculture. A hundred years ago, most people lived and worked on farms; now it's like 1% or something like that. I know that Monsanto's shareholders need to make rivers of dosh, boatloads of cash, money hand over fist, but I don't understand how in practice they've managed to get a vice-grip on everybody's family jewels.

dekhn 9y ago

Terminator genes are already not used by Monsanto. https://monsanto.com/company/media/statements/terminator-seeds-myth/ https://monsanto.com/company/media/statements/terminator-see... As for glyphosate resistant crops, beyond the currently insufficient science (lots of invalid studies!), I can't see any reason to denounce it or make it illegal).