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Seeds – common inheritance or commercial property?

Seeds – common inheritance or commercial property?. Seed development – 10,000 years old. Seed has been developed, swapped and saved Farmer bred varieties: open pollinated, sexually reproduced and breed true Since 1980’s institutional breeders produced 75,000 new plant varieties

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Seeds – common inheritance or commercial property?

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  1. Seeds – common inheritance or commercial property?

  2. Seed development – 10,000 years old • Seed has been developed, swapped and saved • Farmer bred varieties: open pollinated, sexually reproduced and breed true • Since 1980’s institutional breeders produced 75,000 new plant varieties • Small farmers have created millions of varieties

  3. Property rights and Patents • 1930’s Hybrid seed developed – purchased each year • Before 1987- all plants in public domain • Plant Breeder Rights Act – rights over plants but farmers can save seed • TRIPs and Utility patents – patenting of plants and breeding processes. Farmers can’t save seed

  4. Plant breeding in Australia • Public institutions ie CSIRO and GRDC • Funded by government and farmer levies • Patents mean costs have risen • Governments encourage public/private partnerships • Research directed away from public good to corporate profit • Costs passed on to farmers • “Yes, we do find that it is often the best strategy to get into bed with these companies”John Stocker, CSIRO’s former CEO,

  5. 2008 cost of planting Roundup Ready canola • Farmers must be accredited by Monsanto • Farmers sign 2 contracts with Monsanto – cost $500 (discounted from $1000) • Buy special Roundup formula • Seed is twice the price of popular non-GM canola seed • Technology fee of $10.20 per tonne of grain

  6. Terminator Developed for where patents can’t be enforced Plants can’t reproduce unaided Being tested in US greenhouses Patents Rice Tec granted US patent over 20 traits and techniques of Basmati- American rice cross 4 claims struck down Uncertainty on bio-piracy, farmers rights and traditional knowledge Biotech companies in frenzy to patent genes for climate change Terminator Technology and Patents

  7. Concentration of seed ownership • In 1970’s, thousands of companies, none had even 1% of market • Now 2 chemical companies own 35%. Monsanto (20%) and Dupont (15%) • Monsanto developed Roundup in the 1970’s and Roundup Ready (GM) crops in the 1990’s • Monsanto’s stated aim is 100% of all seeds GM and patented by 2019

  8. Seed saving and development outside corporate control • Groups are realising the danger and are trying to develop new networks • Diggers Club • Ceres • Seed Savers network • Individuals

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