RE: Politics and food...ARGH!!! was RE: [tomato] Re Caspian Pink
cvinson@mindspring.com (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Fri, 2 Apr 1999 21:51:22 -0500
Richard wrote:
I don't think the terminator technology has claimed to increase
productivity. It is intended to protect the originator of a hybrid by not
allowing the plant to produce viable seed. In other words, it extends any
plant patent indefinitely if it doesn't obviate the need for a patent in
the first place.
Richard, my writing was sloppy. One of the arguments I hear in support of
terminator technology runs along the lines of a) hybrids are more productive
than open pollinated varieties and hyrids offer the best chance of feeding
the growing number of people on the planet, b) the "best" way to provide
incentives for the continuing and future creation of "needed" hybrids is to
render the seed sterile so the patent holder is protected against loss of
revenue downstream, c) because of a) and b) it therefore follows that
terminator technology is the only way to produce better hybrids needed to
feed the world. And that's twisted, specious and crazy "logic" in my book.
Catharine