Subject: Re: Terminator Technology (fwd)

From: Victor Guest <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 15:48:42 WST

At 12:29 15/02/99 -0800, Cindy Dvergsten wrote:
[snipped]
>>>uncovered over three dozen new patents describing a wide range of
>>>techniques that can be used for genetic sterilization of plants and seeds.
>>>The disclosure follows on the heels of a controversial patent unveiled
>last
>>>year and christened the "Terminator" by RAFI. The Terminator patent,
>>>jointly owned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a Monsanto
>>>subsidiary, continues to generate worldwide protest and debate because it
>>>renders farm-saved seed sterile and forces farmers to buy commercial seed
>>>market every year.
>>>
>>>According to RAFI, every major seed and agrochemical enterprise is
>>>developing its own version of Terminator seeds. Novartis, AstraZeneca, and
>>>Monsanto are among the multinational corporations who have sterile seeds
>in
>>>the pipeline, while others like Pioneer Hi-Bred, Rhone Poulenc, and DuPont
>>>have seed technologies that could easily be turned into Terminators.
>>>
>>>"These technologies are extremely dangerous," explains Pat Mooney of RAFI,
>>>"because over 1.4 billion farmers -- primarily poor farmers in Africa,
>Asia
>>>and Latin America -- depend on farm-saved seed as their primary seed
>>>source. If they can't save seed, they can't continue to adapt crops to
>>>their unique farming environments, and that spells disaster for global
>food
>>>security."
>>>
>>>The seed sterilization patents uncovered by RAFI reveal that companies are
>>>developing "suicide" seeds whose genetic traits can be turned on and off
>by
>>>an external chemical "inducer" mixed with the company's patented
>>>agrochemicals. In the not-so-distant future, farmers may be planting seeds
>>>that will develop into productive (but sterile) crops only if sprayed with
>>>a carefully prescribed regimen that includes the company's proprietary
>>>pesticide, fertilizer or herbicide. The latest version of Monsanto's
>>>suicide seeds won't germinate unless exposed to a special chemical, while
>>>AstraZeneca's technologies outline how to engineer crops to become stunted
>>>or otherwise impaired if not regularly exposed to the company's chemicals.
>>>
>>>Ignoring potential impacts on farmers around the world, the seed and
>>>agrochemical industry argues that engineered seed sterility is highly
>>>beneficial to the environment because it will eliminate the problem of
>>>horizontal gene transfer -- it will prevent cross-pollination and thus the
>>>escape of engineered genes from transgenic plants to nearby weeds or wild
>>>relatives. Suicide seeds could eliminate the possibility of genetic
>>>pollution and conveniently offers a "green" rationale for acceptance of
>>>genetic seed sterility. Industry also argues that they can't continue to
>>>develop new, more productive varieties for agriculture unless they get a
>>>fair return on their investment.
>>>
>>>Seed sterility technology is unacceptable to growing numbers of civil
>>>society organizations worldwide who are calling for Terminator
>technologies
>>>to be banned by governments. Farmers, scientists, and others from over 50
>>>countries have sent more than 1850 letters to the U.S. Department of
>>>Agriculture calling for an end to the Terminator. According to RAFI, the
>>>easiest way for other countries to ban Terminator is for national patent
>>>offices to reject these claims on the legal grounds of ordre public
>>>(against public morality).

Ironic that the same companies that are developing GM crops (Monsanto,
Zeneca) are promoting (apparently) their selectivably sterile seeds because
they won't have the problems of GM crops becoming superweeds.

Kenn

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-------------------------------snip-----------------------------
R. H. (Dick) Richardson   wrote

Monsanto is promoting the terminator technology because their patent on
Roundup herbicide is about to run out and they won't be making much money
on their herbicide sales. They don't want farmers saving "Roundup-Ready"
resistant seed from year to year, but to purchase seed each year to make up
the profit difference. Other companies with a longer patent hold on
pesticides don't mind if the seed are saved and replanted. Their profit
comes from herbicide sales.

Dick

R. H. (Dick) Richardson                     (512) 471-4128 office
School of Biol. Sci./Integrative Biol. Sect.      471-9651 FAX
Patterson Lab
University of Texas                              =20
Austin, TX 78712
=09