Whose property are the seeds? Are we allowed to use a part of our crop as seeds for the next crop?
A few years ago, such questions would seem nonsense. What about now? Biotechnology industries have improved certain varieties of seed (e.g. so that they will not be vulnerable to a kind of fungus), and they sell them to farmers. However, farmers are not allowed to replant the seeds. The farmer has to buy new seeds to plant. Otherwise, they violate the copyright right of the company which produced it.
One could claim that since a company has spent funds to research and develop a variety of seeds, it should be able to protect its investment. However, the fact is that the top ten seed companies control the two-thirds (67%) of the global proprietary seed market. The top three companies together account 47% of the worldwide proprietary seed market.
Who tries to owns nature?
Due to the oligopoly of the international seed market, a huge number of traditional seeds extincts. It is hard to swallow that 94% of the seed varieties in the world have already extinct into the 20th century.
Seed: the untold story
In Greece, almost 97% of the traditional varieties of vegetables have extinct only the last
50 years!!! Biodiversity becomes more and more restricted influencing possibly the evolution of life.
One of the most important consequences of the oligopoly of seeds is that if a variety becomes vulnerable to a specific fungus, then a huge part of the world production will be affected. This phenomenon would be almost impossible to happen in the past because a virus could affect only certain varieties which constitute only a small part of the world production. The influence of the virus which insulted the banana production, and specifically the variety Cavedish, which accounts for 45% of the fruit?s global crop is significant, according to the article of CNBC.
We have no bananas? It could actually happen!
On the other hand, about a thousand species of bananas have been observed in nature, most of the durable to the virus. The Cavendish banana variety became a favorite in the 1950's because it was found to be resistant to strains of Panama disease that hit the then-preferred Gros Michel variety of banana.
What would happen, if 45% of the world rice or wheat production was affected?
Already, farmers from many countries have reacted, leading to the reconsideration of the subject. Farmers, in majority from Canada and USA, fight in the courts against the prohibition of replanting ?copyrighted? seeds.
At the same time, there has been an effort in making a world seed bank, a global non-profit online seed exchange company, where every farmer may ask for seeds from any traditional variety, an alternative to purchasing only specific seeds from the oligopoly of seed companies.
This campaign is in process and about 65.000 people worldwide have guaranteed to contribute financially to the establishment of this bank.
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We support the sustainable development and the protection of environment. However, our actions have not to be limited to the wild fauna and flora, but also to what happens in the cultivated areas and on the consequences of actions that have not been properly researched.
Sources:
A potential threat to biodiversity everywhere!
Preserving Seed Diversity
Who tries to own nature?
Who tries to own nature 2 ?
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Seed: the untold story
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8 Comments
Thanks all of you for the aptly made comments. I agree with Rohan's point that the right over the seeds and anything that sprouts out of them are the property of the farmers in the case they need to replant them. However, I think it would be possibly acceptable that the farmers should not sell their seeds to other farmers as long as the GMO patent is valid. The reason for the "copyright" is based on the work done for the Genetic Modification of the seeds. I believe that the right to replant the GMO seeds is not incompatible with the GMO engineering work. The prohibition of the reuse of the seeds is an abuse of the "copyrighted" rights, against fundamental rights of the humanity.
I believe that the issue of the GMO is a big issue and I will probably work on it in another article.
Posted 11-08-2014 02:53
I think that once they sell the seeds, the seed companies have no right over the seeds that the farmer produces. Because, in case of a ruined crop, they will not get the seeds. In that case, once sold, the seeds and anything that sprouts out of them are the property of the farmer. Any other method is simply exploiting the farmers resources and is an unfair means to make extra money
Posted 05-08-2014 22:10
We are well somehow unconsciously forced to eat genetically modified foods which are not fully proved about overall health impacts on our body. I also do hope to retain our birth right to choose natural foods. Thank you Konstantinos for quality article on food security.
Posted 05-08-2014 09:06
That's right, we humans act as if we own the nature for ourselves. However, in reality, the nature belongs to nobody, and strikes back to those who wish to take advantage of her. Thanks for sharing, Konstantinos!
Posted 04-08-2014 12:34
This calls for a debate at a global level & also by respective Governments. Well shared Konstantinos.
Posted 03-08-2014 19:51
Thanks for a very interesting report . Undoubtedly , seed industry oligopoly means fewer choices for farmers and as you mentioned it impacts global food security. The implications of seed industry consolidation for food security and biodiversity must be urgently addressed by governments , FAO and by the UN Convention on Biodiversity .
Posted 03-08-2014 01:47
Interesting. GMO is definitely a hot topic right now. Some say that it can help end world hunger, and that the companies deserve recognition for their engineering work. Others say that it's not right to patent genes/crops just a scam for big companies to make money. Like many other environmental issues, it's complex.
Posted 02-08-2014 11:14
Thanks for the article of knowing our biodiversity
Posted 02-08-2014 08:28