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Genetically engineered seed is sterile and patented. So the first hit is free, but you as a farmer is stuck buying seed for eternity. Handing out GMO seed is li

by Duff 15y ago

Genetically engineered seed is sterile and patented. So the first hit is free, but you as a farmer is stuck buying seed for eternity. Handing out GMO seed is like giving Gilette razors to poor people. You know what would help African farmers? Education about irrigation and scientific, low-moisture farming techniques. Provide non-hybrid seed and equipment than be used by locals to clean and store it.

mbell 15y ago
>You know what would help African farmers? Education about irrigation and scientific, low-moisture farming techniques. Provide non-hybrid seed and equipment than be used by locals to clean and store it. The solution is never so simple. I could just as easily and correctly (ignoring all human implications) say "You know what would help African farmers? Move them somewhere more conducive to human life." Sounds awesome in theory, but consider the implementation details and effects on life of both options. You always have to make a trade off in practice between what is an "ideal" solution scientifically and what can actually be implemented given the real humans involved.
- vacri 15y ago
  Africa holds over a billion people, and is the second-most populated continent. I'd say the people there are already aware of what parts of it are conducive to human life.
mbell 15y ago
>Genetically engineered seed is sterile and patented. This is not accurate as a blanket statement. Not all genetically engineered seeds are sterile, only a limited subset (Monsanto only acquired the sterile technology in 2007 and I don't think they use it in all seeds)
sauravc 15y ago
WRONG. That's like saying all software is proprietary. While some prominent genetically modified organisms sold by Monsanto are sterile and patented, it doesn't mean all GMO's are or have to be.
- Duff 15y ago
  Anything is possible. But no company is investing millions developing GMO seeds that farmers can replicate.
cop359 15y ago
>So the first hit is free, but you as a farmer is stuck buying seed for eternity. The heroin analogy is idiotic. Nothing is stopping the farmers from switching back to conventional crops if they don't find GMO's more profitable then what they were doing before
- throwaway64 15y ago
  actually there is, because when traditional crops are wholesale abandoned, the seed stock, and unique local climate adapted varieties disappear forever, leaving them dependent on GMO corps to get any kind of return at all. This problem has already occurred in most western vegetable growing.[1] Locally adapted varieties and varieties with certain commercially undesirable characteristics are lost forever, this has a massive negative impact on biodiversity, and thus food supply security.[2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_plant [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoculture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoculture

by Duff 15y ago

mbell 15y ago

>You know what would help African farmers? Education about irrigation and scientific, low-moisture farming techniques. Provide non-hybrid seed and equipment than be used by locals to clean and store it. The solution is never so simple. I could just as easily and correctly (ignoring all human implications) say "You know what would help African farmers? Move them somewhere more conducive to human life." Sounds awesome in theory, but consider the implementation details and effects on life of both options. You always have to make a trade off in practice between what is an "ideal" solution scientifically and what can actually be implemented given the real humans involved.

vacri 15y ago
Africa holds over a billion people, and is the second-most populated continent. I'd say the people there are already aware of what parts of it are conducive to human life.

mbell 15y ago

>Genetically engineered seed is sterile and patented. This is not accurate as a blanket statement. Not all genetically engineered seeds are sterile, only a limited subset (Monsanto only acquired the sterile technology in 2007 and I don't think they use it in all seeds)

sauravc 15y ago

WRONG. That's like saying all software is proprietary. While some prominent genetically modified organisms sold by Monsanto are sterile and patented, it doesn't mean all GMO's are or have to be.

Duff 15y ago
Anything is possible. But no company is investing millions developing GMO seeds that farmers can replicate.

cop359 15y ago

>So the first hit is free, but you as a farmer is stuck buying seed for eternity. The heroin analogy is idiotic. Nothing is stopping the farmers from switching back to conventional crops if they don't find GMO's more profitable then what they were doing before

throwaway64 15y ago
actually there is, because when traditional crops are wholesale abandoned, the seed stock, and unique local climate adapted varieties disappear forever, leaving them dependent on GMO corps to get any kind of return at all. This problem has already occurred in most western vegetable growing.[1] Locally adapted varieties and varieties with certain commercially undesirable characteristics are lost forever, this has a massive negative impact on biodiversity, and thus food supply security.[2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_plant [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoculture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoculture