terminator seeds
By CraftyCorner
@CraftyCorner (5600)
United States
April 5, 2008 4:13pm CST
It may sound like the title to a Hollywood flick, but it's not. There is a seed created by genetic engineering owned by a company called Monsanto called the Terminator Seed.
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Terminator seeds are sterile seeds. When you plant them, they will not grow into plants. It is the ultimate way for Monsanto to protect it's genetic engineering work from 'pirating' farmers who want to snitch a 'free' crop by saving seeds. Of course, it doesn't matter that seed saving had been a farming tradition for generations.
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Wikki on Terminator Seeds~
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto#.22Terminator.22_seed_controversy
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Wikki on Monsato itself~
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto
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What is your stand on Terminator seeds brought to you by Monsanto? Will it bring famine unheard of on Earth or will Earth with it's determination at producing life flummox Monsanto's attempt at controlling life?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
5 Apr 08
I don't consider saving seeds 'pirating'. When you purchase seeds or seedlings, the offspring (seeds) of that initial investment comes with it as part of the deal.
I guess it's their right to do that, no different than breeders requiring you to spay/neuter a puppy that you purchase from them.
As long as you know you're getting a sterile product, I don't really see it as an issue. Having said that, though, if I would pay x amount for seeds/plants that I knew I could harvest seeds from, I would probably pay less for those that I only got one crop from, unless it was a far superior product in other ways.
2 people like this
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
6 Apr 08
What frightens me is Monsanto is trying to patent all life forms so you can't breed anything with out paying royalties to them. That means hybrids you create yourself and Heritage species. Some Heritage varieties are hundreds of years old.
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
6 Apr 08
Wow.
I can see where they could probably keep tabs on something another company would come up with, where it came from based on the characteristics or whatever, but what about the 'backyard breeder' working in his own private garden?
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
6 Apr 08
My question is, where will they get more seeds that will grow in order to continue their own crops? I mean, the new fruits will have terminators instead of regular seeds, so they won't grow. Even if they do save seeds that will grow, eventually they will run out. So wouldn't that terminator seed, in essence, put them out of business too?
